Memphis Flyer 5/23/2024

CECILY WILBORN

MAY 25 | GATES AT NOON

West Memphis’s own returns to Southland with her special blend of country, soul and R&B to promote her new album “Kuntry Gurl Playlist.”

BLUES FEST

JUNE 29 | GATES AT NOON

FIVE PERFORMERS GET TOGETHER FOR ONE UNFORGETTABLE BLUESY EVENT!

FEATURING:

Victor Wainwright, Mr. Sipp, Gracie Curran,

AN AIR-CONDITIONED TENT IS READY FOR YOU TO CATCH THESE STARS UNDER THE STARS AT SOUTHLAND CASINO HOTEL!

Tony Holiday & Laura Chavez

Victor Wainwright Tony Holiday Laura Chavez Gracie Curran

Mr. Sipp

SHARA CLARK Editor-in-Chief

ABIGAIL MORICI Managing Editor

JACKSON BAKER, BRUCE VANWYNGARDEN Senior Editors

TOBY SELLS Associate Editor

KAILYNN JOHNSON News Reporter

CHRIS MCCOY

Film and TV Editor

ALEX GREENE Music Editor

MICHAEL DONAHUE, JON W. SPARKS Staff Writers

GENE GARD, EMILY GUENTHER, COCO JUNE, PATRICIA LOCKHART, FRANK MURTAUGH, AUGUST WHITE

Contributing Columnists

SHARON BROWN, AIMEE STIEGEMEYER Grizzlies Reporters

KENNETH NEILL Founding Publisher

CARRIE BEASLEY Senior Art Director

CHRISTOPHER MYERS

Advertising Art Director

NEIL WILLIAMS Graphic Designer

JERRY D. SWIFT

Advertising Director Emeritus

KELLI DEWITT, CHIP GOOGE, DESHAUNE MCGHEE, PATRICK PACHECO Senior Account Executives

CHET HASTINGS

Warehouse and Delivery Manager

JANICE GRISSOM ELLISON, KAREN MILAM, DON MYNATT, TAMMY NASH, RANDY ROTZ, LEWIS TAYLOR, WILLIAM WIDEMAN Distribution

THE MEMPHIS FLYER is published weekly by Contemporary Media, Inc., P.O. Box 1738, Memphis, TN 38101 Phone: (901) 521-9000 Fax: (901) 521-0129 memphisflyer.com

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ANNA TRAVERSE FOGLE Chief Executive Officer

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Controller/Circulation Manager

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MARIAH MCCABE Circulation

A Natural Affair

PHOTO: ERICA DUNLAP

Prospecting at AZP

A

PHOTO: HOWARD BINGHAM

THE fly-by

Questions, Answers + Attitude

Edited by Toby Sells

Memphis on the internet.

MEMPHIS IN MAY

e Shed BBQ from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, took home top honors at Memphis in May’s World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest last weekend. Teams also took wins in contests away from the smokers, like Miss Piggy Idol and barbecue sauce wrestling matches (above).

SMOKESLAM

Smokemasters BBQ took SmokeSlam’s top prize during its inaugural contest. Music, reworks, a Ferris wheel, and more entertained the crowds at Tom Lee Park, like rapper Tone Loc (above).

NEWS YOU CAN USE

Kontji

Anthony wants to help you nd a job. Among the many resources you’ll nd at her website, kontji.com, is a massive list of Memphis-area jobs updated each week. e current list includes an airport shuttle driver, lawn care specialist, a tour guide, stylist, lots of jobs at Bass Pro and Graceland, and tons more. Let’s get to work, y’all!

By Kailynn Johnson

{ CITY REPORTER

Q&A: Renee Parker Sekander

e city’s new LGBTQ liaison works to “bring people back” to Memphis.

Renee Parker Sekander is the city of Memphis’ new LGBTQ liaison. Those duties are additional to her role as executive assistant to Memphis Mayor Paul Young. Former Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland created the LGTBQ liaison position, a role filled in the past by Dabney Ring and Maria Fuhrmann.

Sekander is a native Memphian and a University of Tennessee graduate, and has worked as an advocate in Atlanta, Denver, Los Angeles, and more. But they weren’t home, she said.

She’s dedicated to making sure the city is welcoming and inclusive for the LGBTQ community. She also plans on doing outreach work to “bring people back.”

The Flyer spoke with Sekander about her intentions in her role, how her identity impacts her work, and more.

— Kailynn Johnson

“We have to be able to say [that] Memphis is not a part of tearing people down based on who they identify as.”

Memphis Flyer: Could you talk about how your identity and background play a role in the work you’re doing?

Renee Parker Sekander: I’ll say I’ve been doing this work uno cially for a little while, just as a person who’s very passionate about inclusivity, equality, [and] making sure Memphis is really seen and branded as an inclusive and welcoming city so that we don’t lose out on talent, culture, and spirit to other cities because some people perceive us to not be an equal city, an inclusive city.

How would you describe your role and responsibilities?

I think one of the biggest roles is going to be making sure that people outside of city government understand and have closer relationships with those in it, making sure we’re constantly present, whether that be at events, at meetings, brainstorming sessions, making sure I’m expanding the table, that more people can sit at it, and more voices can be heard as decisions are being made on how to

make our city more inclusive.

What are some of the things in Memphis that may hinder people from having an inclusive experience?

We see a lot of times in national news and statewide news a lot of attacks against the LGBTQ community, things that are putting obstacles in the way of folks from being able to access housing, job equity, protections against discrimination. ese are things a lot of people [see when they] look at our state and look at our country, and we have to be able to say [that] Memphis is not a part of tearing people down based on who they identify as.

It’s going to take all of us to x a lot of the problems we see in our city, and we have to make sure there are no barriers or limits to being able to welcome the folks who want to make an impact here in Memphis to be able to do that.

How do you continue the work that’s been done but also expand so more people can have a seat at the table?

I think the rst and most important thing is listening. It means meeting with the folks that have been doing the work and consistently meeting, too, and becoming intertwined in that work.

My rst couple of months as the liaison will be learning more about what organizations have been doing this work, meeting with folks and activists who have been doing this work, and making sure they’re at my table as we continue to make these charges and make these changes.

For more local news, visit the News Blog at memphis yer.com.

PHOTO: CITY OF MEMPHIS

Renee Parker Sekander

Out of Love

The staff at Twin Oaks Memorial Gardens & Funeral Home takes great pride in caring for our families, and has made a commitment to provide you with a beautiful, lasting tribute to your loved one. Honoring your loved one is our top priority, and part of that is assisting you deal with grief during this difficult time.

Everyone’s needs are different, and for that reason, families can entrust their loved one’s wishes to our staff. We have a wide range of resources to support you not only today, but in the weeks and months to come. Here, everyone is welcome.

Twin Oaks Memorial Gardens & Funeral Home

290 GOODMAN RD E • SOUTHAVEN, MS 38671

662.349.9720 • TWINOAKSFUNERALHOME.COM

{ STATE WATCH

By Toby Sells

Pronoun Fight

Tennessee leads challenge against fed rules protecting LGTBQ people in the workplace.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti led a coalition of 17 states in ling a lawsuit against the federal government over new rules that would mandate pronoun respect in the workplace.

In September, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) voted to approve updates to its workplace harassment rules. e new rules re ect changes in such laws, including the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to protect employees against discrimination because of sexuality or gender identity (Bostock v. Clayton County), the #MeToo movement, and emerging issues such as virtual or online harassment.

e rules were published and given a period for public comment, and became federal law in late April.

of our laws and alienates Americans from our legal system.

“ is end-run around our constitutional institutions misuses federal power to eliminate women’s private spaces and punish the use of biologically-accurate pronouns, all at the expense of Tennessee employers.”

Skrmetti also complained about the EEOC’s new rule that would make an employer liable if it limits access to a bathroom or other sex-segregated facility, such as a shower or locker room, based on biological sex and not on gender identity. Skrmetti claimed employers also may be liable if a customer or other non-employee fails to use an employee’s preferred pronouns or refuses to share a restroom with someone of the opposite sex.

“Harassment, both in-person and online, remains a serious issue in America’s workplaces,” EEOC chair Charlotte A. Burrows said in a statement at the time. “ e EEOC’s updated guidance on harassment is a comprehensive resource that brings together best practices for preventing and remedying harassment and clari es recent developments in the law.”

e EEOC said between scal years 2016 and 2023, more than a third of all discrimination charges received by the agency included an allegation of harassment based on race, sex, disability, or another characteristic covered by the laws enforced by the agency. Also, since scal year 2018, harassment has been alleged in over half of federal sector equal employment opportunity complaints. Among the 143 merits lawsuits that the commission led last year, about 35 percent of them included an allegation of harassment.

However, Tennessee AG Skrmetti said companies should be able to use whatever pronoun they choose to use for their employees. As he has done in several such lawsuits in the past, Skrmetti claims the federal government is overreaching into powers given to states.

“In America, the Constitution gives the power to make laws to the people’s elected representatives, not to unaccountable commissioners, and this EEOC guidance is an attack on our constitutional separation of powers,” Skrmetti said in a statement. “When, as here, a federal agency engages in government over the people instead of government by the people, it undermines the legitimacy

e state leads a coalition of 17 states against new EEOC rules.

Tennessee is joined in the lawsuit with attorneys general from Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia.

More broadly, the EEOC’s new rules protect an array of what the agency calls “legally protected characteristics,” including race, skin color, religion, disability, age, and more. Workplace harassment includes saying or writing an ethnic, racial, or sexbased slur, forwarding an o ensive or derogatory “joke” email, mocking a person’s accent, groping, touching, or otherwise physically assaulting a person, and more. If a harassment claim is led, business owners should investigate the matter and take corrective action, the EEOC said. at action can include ring the employee, but it isn’t required. e employer can also mandate informal counseling, give a written warning, mandate harassment training, suspend the employee without pay, reassign them, or demote them to a non-supervisory position.

PHOTO: ALEXANDER GREY | UNSPLASH

“I

love helping youth and

I

love

what I do. This isn’t work to me. This is a passion.”

– Thurmeisha White, Youth Villages employee

It takes a family to find just where you belong. Creative, adaptable, focused, resilient and determined. Is this you?

The right path feels less like a job and more like a calling. Is this you?

Doesn’t shy away from hard work with a powerful payo . Is this you?

A company with national reach that feels like a family. That’s Youth Villages. Join Youth Villages to find a family and a forever career. youthvillages.org/careers

MY

HEALTH

is our health

Since welcoming little one, life expanded while my world contracted.

More complexity, less time

Every day I advocate for my baby whether it’s at daycare or the doctor’s office.

And every day, I push off one thing—my own health.

Cardiovascular disease is the #1 killer of new moms, with risks can last for months post-partum.

So, I’m taking action and starting the conversation, with not just my doctor, but with other moms I know, too.

Because not only do I want to be a great mom I want to be a mom for a very long time.

Locally supported by

POLITICS

By

Jackson Baker

A Funding Perplex

e county commission wrestles with the issue of inmates with mental illnesses.

Anyone who has been paying attention to hotbutton issues in law enforcement is aware that the matter of incarcerated inmates with mental illnesses is one of them — and one of the most complex as well.

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris’ ongoing proposal to build an expansive new facility to house and treat those prisoners is one response — and the mayor has come in for much praise for it, especially since he intends to proceed without asking for a tax increase, by accessing federal ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds received by the county at the height of the Covid epidemic.

among adult o enders.

As it happens, Bonner is the custodian not only of such issues but of some $2.7 million in allocated and unspent funds for dealing with them, and in testimony last week at the county commission’s committee sessions had oated the idea of the aforementioned RFP. at money, largely derived from a settlement from drug companies and manufacturers involved in the proliferation of opioids, was set aside by the county as a replacement of sorts for a similar sum originally budgeted in 2022 at the behest of former County Commissioner Van Turner for treatment of those inmates deemed incompetent to stand trial by reason of their impairment.

Much of that original outlay ended up, however, being routed into the co ers of the county’s specialty courts (tribunals focused on drugs, veterans, and, in the most general sense, those with mental health conditions). Some of it was destined for CAAP (Cocaine and Alcohol Awareness Program), where it could be put to useful ends, but not for the original purpose of inpatient treatment of the most seriously incapacitated inmates.

Meanwhile County Commissioner Erika Sugarmon sponsored a resolution that became a core part of the agenda at this commission’s regular public meeting Monday night. She apparently proposed routing another $500,000 to CAAP from the currently available funding stock of $2,700,000.

And Sheri Floyd Bonner had indicated lately that he was on the verge of issuing an RFP (request for proposal) to local medical facilities for establishing an inpatient treatment program for the most severely impaired, those inmates who have been formally adjudged by the courts to be incompetent to stand trial.

It is such inmates, languishing in jail as a de facto permanent population, who have been the source of numerous disturbances and highly publicized unsanitary behavior noted by the news media and would-be reformers alike. And they are a primary reason for Bonner’s recent decision to back away from supervising youthful o enders to focus on hard-core issues

David Upton, a spokesperson for the original funding plan, which envisioned an inpatient program, made an impassioned plea to retain the $500,000 in the sheri ’s budget.

At one point in the commission’s discussion of the resolution, Commissioner Mick Wright allowed as how he was doing his best to comprehend the overriding issue but was having trouble understanding what funds were available and for what purpose.

He doubtless spoke for many who had di culty following the money and the competing claimants for it. Ultimately the commission deferred voting on the resolution and will try to unravel the complications of the matter at its next meeting.

To be continued.

PHOTO: SHELBYCOUNTYTN.GOV | SKIPWORTH Commissioner Erika Sugarmon

By Bruce VanWyngarden

Winging

It

A eld trip with Fields Falcone, Overton Park’s avian expert.

“I’ve been walking in this park since the late 1980s. I grew up in Memphis, so I know every trail. When I was young, my rst dog got swept down Lick Creek into the zoo. I have so many memories. But all of us who work here at the park have a passion for connecting people with nature … Oh, a whiteeyed vireo! … Listen. Chick-breeyouchick. ey’re my favorites. ey are such comedians!”

Fields Falcone is the rare person who can carry on a human conversation, identify an avian song and mimic it, and then return to speaking English without missing a beat. Her title is stewardship manager for the Overton Park Conservancy, but she is a scientist/avian biologist who’s conducted eld and lab work as far away as the Marianas Islands and as near as the Memphis Zoo. Today, she is taking an amateur bird-lover — namely me — on a bird walk in the park’s Old Forest.

“ ere are only three urban oldgrowth forests in the country,” says Falcone. “We manage the habitat here mostly by invasive species removal and by trying to control how many trails there are. Beyond that, it’s so ancient that it’s a perfect habitat for many interior forest birds. During the spring and fall migrations many species stop in for a snack, then move on a er a few days to bigger wooded areas like the Wolf River or Hatchie River or T.O. Fuller — or further north to their breeding grounds. … Oh, that’s an eastern wood peewee. … Its song is so plaintive.”

In addition to its migratory visitors, which o er “some of the best birding in Memphis,” Overton Park has a healthy

population of resident and migratory breeding species, and Falcone appears acutely aware of all of them. “We do a lot of birding by ear,” she says. “And really, when we’re doing a survey, vocals tend to be more valuable, especially song versus call. It’s of higher value than even a perfect picture because it is the true genetic imprint of the bird.”

We both have our Merlin birdidenti cation phone apps turned on as we walk, careful to keep our footsteps as quiet as possible. It’s a necessary tool for me, and probably of more use as a backup identi er for Falcone.

“Merlin is great, and accessible for everyone,” she says. I’m reassured, and chance a guess at a song echoing through the treetops.

“Isn’t that a robin?”

“No, that’s a red-eyed vireo,” Falcone says. “It sounds like a robin on helium.” Well, sure. I knew that.

“And that’s a great crested ycatcher,” she says, head turned to the lower branches. “Breeep, breep. It’s pretty birdy today, even though most of the spring migration period is over. I wasn’t sure it would be.”

ere will soon be some new territory between the zoo and the forest opening up for Old Forest trail walkers, thanks to a land-use compromise that nally ends occasional zoo parking on the park’s Greensward.

“We’re going to have some lovely new trails,” says Falcone. “Bob’s Trees and Trails has already mapped the area. We got a federal grant with the help of Congressman Cohen to help settle the nal plans on the Greensward. e zoo got a chunk, the city got a chunk, and Overton Park got a chunk. We’re designing a loop trail around the Greensward and there will nally be no parking there. We have a great relationship with Matt ompson, the zoo CEO.”

A young couple, each carrying binoculars, approaches. ey are smiling, and say something to Falcone but I don’t catch it. “Ooh,” she says, “ ey heard a black-throated green warbler. ey make this insane, brilliant, lovely song — gee, geegeegee — but they’re only here for migration.”

And I’m only here for this awesome bird walk (and my daily dog walks), but I urge you to check Overton Park’s calendar for nature programs, tai chi, science cafe, and other activities. It’s a great respite from the city’s heat and hustle. And if you’re lucky, you might even run into the remarkable Fields Falcone. If you do, tell her Bruce says, “breeep.”

PHOTO: BRUCE VANWYNGARDEN Fields Falcone

SPORTS By Frank Murtaugh

omething is rotten in the state of St. Louis Cardinals baseball. e Memphis Redbirds’ parent club nished in last place in 2023, the rst time in 33 years the proud franchise took on the scent of a cellar. Following some signi cant changes to the club’s starting pitching rotation, hopes were elevated for a better 2024, only to see the team open the season as though its collective wings had been clipped. ere were injuries (three out elders opened the season on the injured list), scoring droughts (the Cards endured a 12-game stretch in which they scored more than three runs exactly once), and generally dreadful play from both veterans (Paul Goldschmidt) and rising “stars” (Nolan Gorman). As Memorial Day nears, is there hope for fun summer days at the ballpark?

Memphis is playing a role, as it has since 1998 when the Redbirds arrived, in e orts to cure the Cardinals’ ills. Last year’s star rookie — right elder Jordan Walker — opened the season with St. Louis but returned for some Triple-A development when his batting average plummeted to .155 a er 20 games. Likewise, the franchise’s third-ranked prospect — center elder Victor Scott II — started the season in the Cardinals’ batting order, but only because of those injuries to out elders Tommy Edman, Dylan Carlson, and Lars Nootbaar. Scott batted .085 in 20 games before getting his ticket to Memphis for a rst taste of Triple-A pitching.

runs scored. With ve (!) St. Louis regulars batting under .240 and the club near the bottom of the National League in scoring, you gotta gure Prieto might have a place with the big club in the near future. (Veteran in elder Brandon Crawford is hitting .097 in a reserve role for St. Louis.)

• e hottest pitching prospect in the Cardinals’ system is 21-year-old righty Tink Hence, currently occupying a spot in the rotation at Double-A Spring eld. In his latest start last Saturday, Hence struck out nine in six innings in a win over Midland. Should Hence show signs of growth in the coming weeks, he could make his Triple-A debut with Memphis shortly a er his 22nd birthday (August 6th). With four of their starters in their mid-30s, St. Louis desperately needs a young arm (or three) to emerge, ready to retire big-league batters.

Scott stole an eye-popping 94 bases last year, a season he split between Class-A Peoria and Double-A Spring eld. He knows speed will be his meal ticket, as evidenced by the frequent bunts you’ll see from the 23-year-old Georgia native. rough 23 games with Memphis, Scott has stolen eight bases (and only been caught once). But his on-base percentage of .271 is about 80 points shy of what he’ll need to crack the Cardinals’ everyday lineup. While Scott will likely spend the summer with Memphis, look for Walker — batting .318 in 17 games for the Redbirds — to soon reclaim his place in right eld for the Cardinals.

• e Cardinals acquired in elder Cesar Prieto at last year’s trade deadline in a deal that sent pitcher Jack Flaherty to Baltimore. rough Sunday, Prieto was batting .340 for the Redbirds with 27 RBIs and 27

• Keep an eye on Luken Baker’s home run total. e Redbirds’ rst-baseman has slammed 11 dingers through Sunday, giving him 65 for his career with Memphis. Baker needs 10 more to surpass Nick Stavinoha’s record of 74 (a standard established in 2011).

• How quickly can a former Redbird impact the big club? If you like the modern WAR metric (a measure of a player’s overall impact, relative to an average player), the answer is less than two months. Rookie shortstop Masyn Winn — last year’s everyday shortstop with Memphis — is leading the Cardinals with 1.8 WAR. He also leads the club in stolen bases (seven) and is near the top of the National League in defensive metrics for his position.

PHOTO: WES HALE

Victor Scott II

By Abigail Morici

Alicja Trout’s ‘Understory’

Known for her rock music, Trout debuts her paintings at Brantley Ellzey’s Summer Studio.

Alicja Trout’s explored the rock-and-roll scene. She’s taken the risks that come with that, toured, worked the merch tables, designed her album covers and band T-shirts — and she’s not done with music, that much needs to be said — but Trout has found a new passion, or rather reignited an old one: visual art. And, last Sunday, she introduced her new art form to Memphis with her solo art show, “Understory,” at Brantley Ellzey’s Summer Studio.

Ellzey, who helped curate the show, says he didn’t know Trout painted until this year, and he expects most Memphians also know Trout solely for her music. Even so, when he rst saw her paintings, he knew he wanted to display them in his studio. “I had a show for Lee Chase for his photography, and then I had a show for Moth Moth Moth,” Ellzey says. “So I’m kind of focusing on artists that are multidisciplinary but maybe people don’t necessarily know that they are visual artists, and they might be familiar to people in Memphis in other ways.”

rock-and-roll and you’re used to the aesthetic of nighttime clubs and all that stu . But then I had children and I just got a lot more into taking peace outside, and animals and nature and creatures in my yard, and growing things. So it’s just like a natural progression of time.”

Music, it turns out, had allowed her to work out “a lot of issues in my brain and anger and frustration, just angst and all that stu . And I think I’ve processed that at this point.”

So, her paintings lean into the fantastical, portraying a sense of peace in storybook landscapes. “As with a diorama in a natural history museum, the viewer is transported into a scene both natural and arti cial,” reads Trout’s artist statement. “Sheltering tree limbs comfort and calm like a protective parent.”

For Trout, who’s been known as Alicja-Pop around Memphis for the better part of her life, art has taken a backseat to her music a er earning her master’s in ne arts from the Memphis College of Art. “One of the main reasons I chose to do music is I do enjoy being alone a lot, and I found that I would just not ever socialize [if I were a visual artist, working alone in a studio],” she says. “I was like, ‘No, I don’t want to live my twenties and my thirties alone,’ so I chose music as a thing to do with people.”

As the years went by, she would make things here and there — dresses for her daughters, a small painting for a room. “Maintenance art,” her friend called it. “I love art,” Trout says. “And every time I go to a museum, I just love it. And I just got inspired by that again, and music started to weigh on me as, ‘Oh, it’s work. I have to record and sit in my dark space in front of a screen or computer and play over and over again to get it right.’ I just felt like I needed a break.”

at break would come in 2020 with the onset of the pandemic. She started small with simple graphic linework on a small canvas, but

eventually she graduated to large landscapes. She experimented with styles and forwent realism.

“Because I came from doing music for so long and then went back into painting, I think a lot of it, I had fun doing it because I was experimenting again,” Trout says. “When I le art school and I went into music, I would do more posters and yers and record covers — things that were done with a purpose, with words on them and stu . It was kind of like graphic design, rock-and-roll posters.”

But this return to painting allowed

“I took on this nature and interest in trees because I think it’s part of getting older as a person.”

her to “get more simple.” “I also took on this nature and interest in trees,” she adds, “because I think it’s part of getting older as a person, especially when you come from rock music and

O en in Trout’s landscapes viewers can nd a lone creature, at ease in an environment of varied colors not o en found in nature. A winding path or river, or sometimes a single light source, will bring the eye to a focal point on the canvas, o ering a familiar image though it represents the unknown.

“For some reason, it’s cozy and comfortable [in the fantastical],” Trout says. “I am kind of a loner, and that stu , like Lord of the Rings, e Hobbit, and fairy tales, has always been a cozy space for me. Maybe having daughters, I went through that again with them and watched a lot of Disney and I read at a lot of beautiful illustration books with them. It was such a cozy space.”

But even in this coziness, Trout hopes to challenge the viewer to reflect on the environment and their place in it. “This body of work displays my love and fascination for the natural world and my fear that we will lose it to inharmonious human development,” she writes in her statement.

In all, though, the works are a personal triumph for the artist. “I was super happy to come back to painting,” she says. “It’s normally in my house and shut in closets and to see it all up, I just want people to come and be part of the experience.”

Alicja Trout’s “Understory” is on display at Brantley Ellzey’s Summer Studio (3086 Summer) through June 2nd.

PHOTOS: ABIGAIL MORICI

Brantley Ellzey and Alicja Trout with work from her “Understory” exhibit, where “[s]heltering trees comfort and calm like a protective parent.”

A Natural Affair

TaKeisha Berry Brooks’ hair journey empowered a community.

PHOTOS: ERICA DUNLAP

TaKeisha Berry Brooks

By Kailynn Johnson

When TaKeisha Berry Brooks set out on her career path, she had no idea where it would lead. A love for styling hair grew into much more, something that would ultimately empower her — and her community.

The South Memphis native has cemented herself as a natural hair stylist and pioneer. She’s the CEO and founder of A Natural Affair hair salon, with locations in Memphis and Cordova, which specializes in natural hair care transitioning and maintenance for locs. Brooks and her husband also own the hair care brand De•Fine Natural Hair.

This year marks a special one for Brooks, as she’s celebrating 15 years of having an “established salon.” “It’s a celebration within itself,” she says. “Business is hard. Business is very hard to not only get up and running, but also to maintain and keep a running engine.”

Along with commemoration, there’s reflection and introspection, as Brooks’ story goes beyond the walls of her business.

Beauty Shop Youth

Growing up in the historic Glenview community, Brooks was raised by her mom, Shirley Pruitt, and her grandmother, Mable Washington Ivory. Brooks’ mother would later get married, and through this union, she learned the value of entrepreneurship, as her parents ran a successful real estate company, A Mortgage Link.

While business was always “her foundation,” one of the most influential players in Brooks’ upbringing was the hair salon. From an early age, she saw the salon wasn’t just a business. It served as a way for her and her mother to spend time with one another — Saturday at the beauty salon was their time. Getting their hair styled together gave Brooks and her mother the opportunity to bond, but it also gave Brooks the chance to see the inner workings of the shop, and how it came to life.

“I remember running around during the early part of my years and my mom used to take us every week, or every two weeks. It was a big part of my life,” Brooks says. “Just getting my hair done and experiencing different stylists in the salon — and we stayed at these salons for years. It wasn’t one of these things where we were jumping all over the place — we had established relationships with these stylists. They were always making everybody pretty and they were always making money.”

This gave her glimpse into a world

in which she’d later make a name for herself. For Brooks, there is a life before and after realizing the magic within the salon. At first, she saw stylists as simply professionals providing services to clientele in need of primping. But when she was around 12 or 13 years old, she started to take interest in it as an art. “I would walk up to them and watch them do hair,” Brooks says. “Some of them would let me and some would be like ‘why am I staring at them’ as if it was a bad thing. What they didn’t know is I was so inspired and amazed by what they were doing.”

While uncovering that magic would be essential to her dream, the concept of community found within would forever be at the center of her vision.

fellow stylist, Donna Bookman.

“She was one of my salon mates and was the one who really taught me a lot of the natural hair [techniques] like partings and things of that nature. I already had a sense of doing it, but she helped fine-tune it more for me,” Brooks says.

This would be the start of her journey toward mastering the art. Brooks soon saw an opportunity to fill a muchneeded gap in the industry, and she took the next step in becoming a natural hair specialist by offering Sisterlocks services in the area. The styling method, created by JoAnne Cornwell, from San Diego, California, in 1992, uses a locking tool to install micro-thin dreadlocks with a locking pattern.

a lifestyle — and, in some cases, a form of liberation.

From there, Brooks delved further into natural hair care. “My path and my journey began to take me on something different,” she says. “That was numberone starting out with Lisa Akbari. For a brief time I worked for her, and one of the things I learned [about] was that she has a trichology facility.”

Akbari serviced clients who were experiencing hair loss and suffering from conditions such as alopecia. The harmful effects of chemical relaxers weren’t widely understood at this time, but Brooks’ exposure to this side of hair care made her rethink her role in the industry. “We didn’t have the knowledge that we have now that

Style, Naturally

After becoming a licensed cosmetologist in 1998, Brooks realized natural hair wasn’t in the mainstream like other Black hair services. “It was a very small community of clients, and it was a very small community of stylists at the time that were offering natural hair and braiding services,” she explains.

Brooks is candid about how she didn’t always embrace her own natural hair, and natural hair wasn’t even what she originally sought out to do. She was initially driven by the trendy styles of the time such as weaves and relaxers. Brooks felt that catering to popular culture was crucial to her success, but she soon found her calling would pull her in the opposite direction.

These were the wild west days of natural hair licensing, and while she had a full cosmetology license, she found herself only serving the small percentage of women who had decided to wear their hair chemically unaltered. This was also when Brooks began to perfect her craft with the help of her

For Brooks, there is a life before and after realizing the magic within the salon.

“My mom is the one who invested in me. She had Sisterlocks before people were getting Sisterlocks. She sent me to Atlanta, and I took the class and I came back and started establishing Sisterlocks [here],” Brooks says. “I was the second person in the state of Tennessee to actually take the training and be certified.”

At the time, Brooks saw that being able to offer “a trademarked system” to her clients was a big deal. But she didn’t realize how impactful it would be. Natural hair wasn’t just a hairstyle, but

chemicals and chemical relaxers were very damaging,” she says. “I just knew that I didn’t want my people [losing hair and] trying to get their hair back.”

She began to build a dedicated clientele requesting braids (which she mastered with the help of Fatou Jangum), micro braids, locs, and more. And while Brooks’ work spoke for itself, her clients began to question her true commitment to natural hair.

“A few clients who were committed to me were like, ‘Okay, when are you going to practice what you preach?’ Like, you can’t be doing natural hair and you have relaxed hair,” Brooks recalls. She took her clients’ remarks to heart. In order to inspire and teach, she needed to become an expert in her own hair.

“People got to be able to visually see me become and be what I was selling,” she says. “At the end of they day they were in a space where they were wanting information. There wasn’t a whole lot of us out here giving the information, or who could even

continued on page 14

translate the information because we didn’t know what was happening in this community that was being built.”

Brooks grew her natural hair out and “embraced what she was transitioning to become. … I haven’t had a relaxer since 1999,” she says.

As natural hair became a mainstay in both Brooks’ life and the Black community, it beckoned to be celebrated. Brooks notes when more people saw the versatility of their hair in its natural state it called them to try different updos and styles. The movement had come a long way culturally, but societally it still faced obstacles. While women and men have celebrated their manes for years, systemic inequities halted progress in the world at large.

Be Who You Are

Brooks calls the early reception of natural hair in the workplace “very discriminatory.” She remembers having clients coming in to get their natural hair styled but opting to throw on a wig because they had a job interview to prepare for. “For a long time that was a big thing, and I realized that was something I had to learn how to help these women become comfortable with — being who they are,” Brooks says.

Her salon became a source of empowerment as she helped women take on a world that had misconstrued ideas about what professionalism looked like. Such charges weren’t germane to her salon, nor her clientele.

One of the stories crucial to understanding Brooks’ legacy as a changemaker is told with the help of her oldest daughter, Destini Berry (25).

Growing up in a salon provided Berry the opportunity to not only be in a space where she was surrounded by women that looked like her, but where they were praised for their individuality. Without these experiences, she says, she may have had an “identity crisis.”

Berry recounts her childhood, saying she “had a lot of problems with her hair.” She was enrolled in a predominantly white school as a child, which impacted her concept of beauty. She was suffocated by the celebration of Eurocentric beauty standards and recalls believing that features such as “long, blond hair” were the desirable aesthetics — a stark contrast to her locs. “I didn’t see anybody that looked like me in the school.”

These comparisons followed her into her extracurriculars, as Berry was also enrolled in ballet. Ballet was something she adored, but it was always associated with the word “neat.” It seemed to be an aspirational word to describe movement, technique, and, of course,

appearance.

Her instructor didn’t deem Berry’s locs appropriate for a recital and told her she wouldn’t be allowed to dance unless her hair was changed. Berry remembers crying, thinking she would have to cut her hair off in order to adhere to the ballet school’s standards. However, through this, her mother was at her side and fought for her to dance with her locs in place. Ultimately, Berry was allowed to do just that.

“My mom was awesome in that situation,” Berry says. “She fought for me and she really explained discrimination to me at a young age, being profiled that young and not understanding the magnitude of that situation. Now that I am an adult, I appreciate how my mom handled it.”

While Brooks believes Berry’s story is her own to tell (she even wrote a book about it, titled I Just Kept Spinning), it marks a moment in which she stood her ground. This tale is symbolic of Brooks’ role as a mother, but it also shows her passion for change and fighting for people. Berry’s right to dance sparked a conversation, and it served as an opportunity for the community to reassess what was deemed “professional” and “neat.”

“That created a sense of respect, for me, as an impactful leader in the community,” Brooks says. “Not only taking up for my daughter, but exposing people to the fact that my daughter has natural hair, someone just tried to stop my daughter from being who she was naturally, and basically telling her. ‘It’s something wrong with you.’ How dare you tell someone that? Especially a child?”

Through advocating for her daughter, Brooks gained the wherewithal and knowledge to teach her clients about what discrimination looked like.

“I’m telling these Black women, ‘Hey this is what’s happening.’ This [was] me educating Black women about what discrimination is against natural hair, especially in the workplace.”

In an effort to further advocate for the community at large, in 2012 Brooks founded the Naturals In The City Hair and Wellness Expo in Memphis. “It was a community awareness event for the then-growing natural hair movement, educating and celebrating natural hair and wellness enthusiasts,” Brooks says. “It included classes, a vendor market, positive pageants, fashion, brunches, and more. It introduced and exposed small businesses that served a need and local and national experts who

“The more I have had [A Natural Affair], the more it reveals to me.”

educated attendees on proper hair care, product knowledge, mental health practices, and healthy food and wellness options.”

Brooks often receives requests to revive the expo. She says it served its purpose then, but she has ideas about how it can serve those in the future.

Change and Growth

A lot has changed in the way society reveres and respects natural hair since then. The CROWN (Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair) Act was passed in Tennessee in 2022, which prohibits companies from discriminating against their employees based on their hairstyles. “I think that has helped with taming the discrimination against natural hair and how we wear our hair,” Brooks says.

Brooks’ career is also marked by change — and milestones of her contributions toward natural hair acceptance. But that journey has been more than hers alone.

“[It’s] not just the people whose hair I’ve done, but also all the people I have encountered and all the people who come in and have worked under me, who have learned and grown in their

own ways, which shows I’ve done what I’m supposed to do as a leader.”

The opening of A Natural Affair 15 years ago was Brooks’ transition into business ownership, and even with the remarkable success of her salon thus far, she knows there’s more work to be done.

“I really haven’t talked about the space where I am now,” Brooks says. “I say it all the time, ‘Yes I’m retired from behind the chair, but I’m still working’ — it’s not one of those things where I’m sitting back with my feet kicked up.”

Brooks received her educator’s training from Empire Beauty School in 2016, which allowed her to help “mold emerging students to professional and knowledgeable natural hair professionals.” In 2017 Brooks became an educator for Design Essentials Haircare after being recommended by Emmitt Bracey, Mid-South regional distributor for the brand. She later worked in educator roles at the Natural Hair Industry Convention under leader Susan Peterkin, and recently at the Bronner Bros. International Beauty Show, the largest gathering of multicultural beauty professionals in the U.S.

In 2022, A Natural Affair became the first salon to be a signature partner with Memphis Shelby County Schools’ College, Career, and Technical Education cosmetology program, through which students gain career training and experience via work study while also attending school during the day. Students are able to earn their cosmetology license in high school.

Today, Brooks continues mentoring and teaching the stylists at her salon, and through her work, inspires new generations of aspiring cosmetologists and hair enthusiasts.

Brooks lists a number of key players in her success, including her family, clients, and Mae Smith, owner of Essentials Beauty Supply, who gave her her first set of supplies when she was 20 years old. “She told me to come back and pay her when I start making money. I did just that, and I make sure I support her beauty supply to this day.”

“What I’ve gained from having A Natural Affair is that the more I have had it, the more it reveals to me and what I’m supposed to be doing, and how I’m supposed to be helping,” Brooks says. “It went from just being me to now having over 15 people working for me.”

And there’s no telling how many children come through the salon and are inspired in the same way she was in her youth.

steppin’ out

We Recommend: Culture, News + Reviews

‘Between Heaven and Earth’

By Abigail Morici

When SunAh Laybourn founded Asian American & Paci c Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month Memphis in 2023, she knew an art show would always be a part of the annual activities. A er all, the 2022 removal, and eventual reinstallation, of photographer Tommy Kha’s Elvis-inspired portrait in the Memphis International Airport was just one of the events that got the University of Memphis professor thinking about Asian-American representation, and, sadly, anti-Asian hate, in Memphis.

For that rst AAPI Heritage Month art show, Laybourn chose the title “Asian American in the South.” “ at approach for me last year,” she says, “was really just making the statement that Asian Americans are in the shadows, but we’re part of the South, and so I love to be able to see all of the creativity from all the artists. It was really a lot about identity-making.” is year’s show — “Between Heaven and Earth, We Build Our Home” — is an expansion of that. “ e theme of the exhibition is about family and home and ancestry, kind of like how we communicate and pass down knowledge and wisdom and lessons from generation to generation,” says Neena Wang, the show’s curator. “ e theme really just came out of the pieces that I [was sent]. Everybody was sending in work about family, about their relatives, about ancestry.”

Participating are andi Cai, Sai Clayton, Sharon Havelka, Vivian Havelka, John Lee, Christine Yerie Lee, Huifu Ma, Susan Mah, Lili Nacht, Yangbin Park, Neena Wang, and Yidan Zeng. All are AAPI individuals from Memphis or living in the South, whose art showcases a variety of media, including painting, sculpture, textile, photography, video, and performance.

Wang and Laybourn also point out that “Between Heaven and Earth” marks UrbanArt Commission’s rst show by an outside organization. “I think what’s great about having this partnership with UrbanArt is that the show will be on view for a few weeks [through June 19th],” says Laybourn. “Last year was just one night only.”

“Between Heaven and Earth” opens on Saturday, May 25th, with a reception featuring a special performance by the MengCheng Collective (Cai, Nacht, Wang, and Zeng). Nacht and Zeng will also lead a free Raise Your Flag workshop on Sunday, May 26th, 2 to 5 p.m. “ ey’re going to do a cyanotype ag-making workshop,” Wang says. “ e idea is making a ag as a representation of place because the theme of the show is very much about building your own place as an immigrant or as an outsider.” Participants can register in advance at bit.ly/mcraise ag.

For more information on AAPI Heritage Month Memphis, presented by Google, visit aapiheritagemonthmemphis.com.

“BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH, WE BUILD OUR HOME” OPENING RECEPTION, URBANART COMMISSION, 422 NORTH CLEVELAND, SATURDAY, MAY 25, 4-8 P.M.

VARIOUS DAYS & TIMES May 23rd - 29th

Flower Happy Hour

Memphis Botanic Garden, 750 Cherry, ursday, May 23, 6 p.m., $45/members, $55 nonmembers, 21+

Bring your best buds to Flower Happy Hour, a new series where you’ll get to try your hand at ower arranging with some of Memphis’ favorite orists. You’ll learn new design techniques and special tricks as you build an arrangement to take home.

Leading the rst class of the series on May 23rd is the Mane Wildling, followed by Midtown Bramble and Bloom (June 13th), John Mark Sharpe (July 18th), and Kevin Coble of Le Fleur (August 15th).

All supplies are provided including owers and your container, but bring your own pruners or oral shears. Bring your own beverages and snacks to enjoy while creating.

Opening Reception for “MANE” and “Hidden Gems”

Galleries at Crosstown Arts,1350

Concourse, Friday, May 24, 6 p.m. Crosstown Arts presents an opening reception for “MANE” and “Hidden Gems” curated by Najee Strickland and Kiara Sally in the Galleries at Crosstown Arts. Celebrate the opening of new works by various artists with a performance from Keeping It P, a special menu by Petals of Peony, and more.

“MANE” will explore how Southern speech has shaped Memphis artists’ view of community and themselves. Meanwhile, “Hidden Gems” includes artists with modest visibility and offers them an opportunity to show up and be uncovered.

Orion Free Concert Series

Overton Park Shell, 1928 Poplar, Friday, May 24, 7:30 p.m. | Sunday, May 26, 7:30 p.m., free The Overton Park Shell’s series of free concerts has returned for the summer. This Friday, catch a performance by Lukah with Hope Clayburn & the Fire Salamanders. Then on Sunday, catch Memphis Symphony Orchestra’s annual Sunset Symphony, one of Memphis’ most treasured traditions. Picnic baskets, coolers, beverages, blankets, and lawn chairs are always welcome. Food and beverage will also be available for sale. Dogs on a leash are welcome in designated areas. More information, including a full lineup, can be found at overtonparkshell.org.

PHOTO: COURTESY JOHN LEE Flying Tigers by John Lee

MUSIC By Alex Greene

Coming Home to Memphis Soul

Cyrena Wages releases her debut album Vanity Project

Nashville, being a music industry city, draws a lot of talent, even from Memphis. Yet there o en comes a moment of reckoning for that talent, when everything that makes an artist unique collides with all the factors that make the industry an industry — the assembly line, if you will. at, at least, was the trajectory of Memphis-born Cyrena Wages, a singer/songwriter equipped with such a rich, soulful alto that Nashville called out to her for most of the 2010s. ere, her duo with her brother Houston, the Lost Wages, was courted by producers who’d worked with the likes of Frankie Ballard and Dolly Parton, leading to some of her rst recording sessions. And that, in turn, was where it all went wrong.

“There’s something different about this place. It’s honest and … heavy.”

Whatever was created in those sessions just didn’t feel like her. Somehow, she felt she “hadn’t even started,” she says. “ e stories that had lived in my mind since I was a little girl hadn’t even come to the surface yet.” Part of the problem, she realized, was personal: She needed to confront the young girl she had been to nd her true, mature voice. “For whatever reason, some kids, o en young women, absorb so many external narratives that our own essence and truth just gets totally washed away. at was me, and I lived in that checked-out space from age 9 until about 26.”

For Wages, the key to not being checked-out was coming home to “the country backroads between Millington and Shelby Forest” where she grew up. Here, she could have the space to develop her vision. And now this Friday, years a er she returned to those backroads, that vision is coming into fruition with the release of her debut album, Vanity Project

Produced and mixed by Matt Ross-Spang at his Southern Grooves studio, the album has some of the rootsy, vintage elements of his previous acclaimed work with Margo Price or St. Paul & the Broken Bones, yet with more of the contemporary pop instincts once championed by one of Wages’ heroes, Amy Winehouse. Most of all, the

sounds jump out of the speakers with the grit of a real band. at includes not only Ross-Spang himself but guitarist and songwriting collaborator Joe Restivo, whose experience with groups like the City Champs and the Bo-Keys brings a subtly cosmopolitan touch to the arrangements. Other A-list players from Memphis, including keyboardist Pat Fusco, bassist Landon Moore, and drummers Danny Banks, Ken Coomer, and Shawn Zorn, bring some heavy vibes and grooves. It’s abundantly clear this was not created “in the box” of a computer screen. is album has soul. Yet the real soul arises out of Wages’ liquid vocals and the very personal lyrics she has penned. ere’s no small irony in the album’s title, as these songs confront her struggles with her own self-image and the double-edged sword of physical beauty. Having grown up competing on the Tennessee beauty pageant circuit, she was immersed in the mix of acclaim, cruelty, and infantilization that such a world cultivates.

“I’ll die in therapy over it,” Wages says of those years, laughing. “Walking around in a swimsuit with a number on your waist like a show horse, all while a bunch of weird old guys give you a score of one to 10. … I subconsciously internalized that whole dynamic and it was in the driver’s seat for a lot of my life. I either bullied myself for not being ‘whatever’ enough, or I’ve been dismissed as ‘whatever’ — and not the smart one, not the creative one, not the artistically capable one.”

Living through all of that, and staring it in the face, lends the album its hardwon wisdom. “Am I a mess or a work of art?” she sings on “Back to the City.”

“In my darkness I ruminate/I wonder if a lover will ever stay with my heavy heart/But the morning sun whispered, ‘You’re the most beautiful girl in the world when you fall apart’/My soul has lines on her face, I am much older than my time/But I’m comin’ up from the reverie and out of the corners of my mind/And I’m going back to the city/I’m going back to the old me/I got a new pair of dancing shoes and damn I feel pretty.”

Such insights into her own life, Wages suggests, couldn’t have come if she was still chasing the brass ring of music industry approval. at could only come from the back roads. “Memphis is part of the tapestry of my soul,” she says. “ ere’s something different about this place. It’s honest and … heavy. It’s where I can connect to the source, you know? It provided me enough openness to nd myself, my real autonomous self, outside of all the voices. at was something I’d never done before. It’s like I had been asleep since I was ve years old and then woke up and said, ‘Where have I been? What the hell happened to me?’”

Cyrena Wages and band will celebrate the release of Vanity Project at Bar Ware on ursday, May 30th.

PHOTO (BELOW): ALYSSE GAFKJEN

Cyrena Wages

Vanity Project album art

Celebrity Cypher

Southern Soul and Blues

Southern soul and blues

come together in an open mic hosted by recording artist Marqee of Soul. Friday, May 24, 7 p.m.

K3 STUDIO CAFE

Dinner & Music Cruise

Enjoy a two-hour cruise on Ol’ Man River featuring live entertainment and a meal.

$50/general admission.

ursday, May 23, 7:30-9:30

p.m. | Friday, May 24, 7:309:30 p.m. | Saturday, May 25, 7:30-9:30 p.m.

MEMPHIS RIVERBOATS

DJ Capital A Friday, May 24, 9 p.m.

EIGHT & SAND

ILL SYL

Friday, May 24, 9 p.m.-1 a.m.

EIGHT & SAND

Lionel Richie and Earth, Wind & Fire

Richie’s Sing A Song All Night

Long tour. Wednesday, May 29, 7:30 p.m.

FEDEXFORUM

Live & Local Music

Live and local music, every Wednesday night on the all-weather patio. Wednesday, May 29, 7-10 p.m.

MOMMA’S

The Pistol & The Queen

Sunday, May 26, 3 p.m.

HUEY’S DOWNTOWN

Thumpdaddy

Roo op Party featuring umpdaddy and DJ Jordan Rogers. ursday, May 23, 7 p.m.

THE PEABODY HOTEL

Elmo and the Shades Elmo and the Shades with the great Eddie Harrison on vocals and keys. Free. Wednesday, May 29, 7 p.m.

NEIL’S MUSIC ROOM

Landslide (Fleetwood Mac Tribute)

Friday, May 24, 8 p.m.

NEIL’S MUSIC ROOM

Laser Taylor Swift 2: Bigger and Better!

A Taylor Swi playlist set to laser lights. Friday, May 24, 7 p.m.

MEMPHIS MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & HISTORY

AFTER DARK: Live Music Schedule May 23 - 29

Mempho Presents: Widespread Panic

Friday, May 24, 6:30 p.m. |

Saturday, May 25, 6:30 p.m.

RADIANS AMPHITHEATER AT MEM-

PHIS BOTANIC GARDEN

Teen Fest

A musical showcase presented by Play Your Park of 10 young artists 12 to 17 years of age. Saturday, May 25, 2-6 p.m.

AUDUBON PARK

The Deb Jam Band e Deb Jam Band featuring Deb Jamison. Free. Tuesday, May 28, 6 p.m.

NEIL’S MUSIC ROOM

The Settlers is rootsy country rock group has been playing Memphis for over sixty years.

Sunday, May 26, 3-6 p.m.

HUEY’S POPLAR

Van Duren

e singer/songwriter, a golden-voiced pioneer of indie pop in Memphis, performs solo. ursday, May 23, 6:308:30 p.m.

MORTIMER’S

Wyly & the Coyotes

Wednesday, May 29, 6 p.m.

HUEY’S POPLAR

After Hours

With Anna Rose Baker, Above Jupiter [Big Room-Upstairs].

Friday, May 24, 7 p.m.

HI TONE

Alexis Jade and the Gemstones

Saturday, May 25, 9 p.m.

BAR DKDC

Amelia Ray, Joyclyn, MarciaLyn

Presented by Women in Memphis Music (WiMM).

Wednesday, May 29, 8 p.m.

B-SIDE

Background Character

With e Writer/ e Signal, Death Junt, Hunter Cross.

Sunday, May 26, 9:30 p.m.

LAMPLIGHTER LOUNGE

Beltane Masquerade Ball - A Night in The Fairy Court

A magical masquerade ball with a DJ, enchanting dance interludes, and a rave. $25.

Friday, May 24, 8 p.m.

BLACK LODGE

Bryan Martin

With Ben Roberts. Saturday, May 25, 8 p.m.

GROWLERS

David Collins and Band

Tuesday, May 28, 10 p.m.

B-SIDE

David Evans & Andy Cohen

An evening of bluegrass and blues with award-winning legends. ursday, May 24,

7-10 p.m.

LAMPLIGHTER LOUNGE

Devil Train

Bluegrass, Roots, Country, Delta, and Ski e. ursday, May 23, 10 p.m. | Saturday, May 25, midnight.

B-SIDE

DOIS

With Deathspiral of Inherited Su ering, Severe Headwound, Dawn of Ascension, Ruined God. ursday, May 23, 8 p.m.

GROWLERS

Duane Cleveland Trio

Saturday, May 25, 1 p.m.

LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM

El Chavos! - The Lines Between Us Release Show

With Banales, Macrophonics, A er e Rain. Friday, May 24, 7 p.m.

GROWLERS

Ensemble X Quartet

A Sunset Symphony pre-party with music on the Mobile Shell. Sunday, May 26, 5 p.m.

MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART

Fredo Bang - Yes, I’m

Sad Tour

With Kuttem Reese, FL Dusa, Yolo Ru, Brimboy TB, How D Black Do at. Wednesday, May 29, 8 p.m.

GROWLERS

Golgothan With Heavy Machine Gun [Small Room-Downstairs]. Friday, May 24, 9 p.m.

HI TONE

Hayley Reardon

Presented by Folk All Y’all. “Reardon is truly a treasure”

— No Depression Magazine $20/general admission. Saturday, May 25, 7:30 p.m.

THE GREEN ROOM AT CROSSTOWN ARTS

Hope Clayburn Saturday, May 25, 8 p.m.

RAILGARTEN

Jad Tariq Band Sunday, May 26, 3 p.m.

HUEY’S MIDTOWN

Java Trio

Park Friends Spring Music Night. Wednesday, May 29, 6 p.m.

ABE GOODMAN GOLF CLUBHOUSE

J.B. & the Meat and Three, feat. Robbie Peoples

Friday, May 24, 10 p.m.

B-SIDE

J.D. Westmoreland Band

Monday, May 27, 10 p.m.

B-SIDE

Joe Restivo 4 Sunday, May 26, 11 a.m.-2

p.m.

LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM

Louder Than Bombs Saturday, May 25, 9 p.m.

B-SIDE

Lukah

With Hope Clayburn and the Fire Salamander. Friday, May 24, 7:30 p.m.

OVERTON PARK SHELL

Marcella Simien & Her Lovers

Friday, May 24, 9 p.m.

BAR DKDC

PHOTO (ABOVE): MICHEL VERLINDEN

David Evans

PHOTO (LEFT): JOSHUA TIMMERMANS Widespread Panic

PHOTO (RIGHT):

COURTESY GERMANTOWN

PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Chinese Connection

Dub Embassy

Memphis Reggae

Presents: Kiara aka Bigg

Smith

Sunday, May 26, 7:30 p.m.

B-SIDE

Mempho Presents: Dopapod

Widespread Panic A ershow. Friday, May 24, 11 p.m.

MINGLEWOOD HALL

Ministry of Dance: A Gothic Gathering

DJ Evonech, St. Faust, and 10.29 play Goth, darkwave, industrial, and dark electro. $10.

Saturday, May 25, 10 p.m.

BLACK LODGE

Ossuary

With Grave Lurker, Ruined God [Big Room-Upstairs]. Sunday, May 26, 8 p.m.

HI TONE

Pet Mosquito (Carbondale)

With Opossums, Sweet Knives. Wednesday, May 29, 9 p.m.

BAR DKDC

Pimps of Joytime Friday, May 24, 8 p.m.

RAILGARTEN

Shaggy 2 DopePyschopathic Soldiers Tour

With DJ Clay, KING 810, Heathensun. Sunday, May 26, 8 p.m.

GROWLERS

Snorkler

With Data Drums, Solvent [Small Room-Downstairs].

ursday, May 23, 8 p.m.

HI TONE

Souled Out Friday, May 24, 10 p.m.

LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM

Spafford

ursday, May 23, 7 p.m.

RAILGARTEN

Sunset Symphony

With the Memphis Symphony Orchestra. Sunday, May 26, 7:30 p.m.

OVERTON PARK SHELL

Swingtime Explosion

A big band playing swing, jazz, rock, ballads, movie and TV themes, Latin, and blues.

Monday, May 27, 6 p.m.

LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM

The Heavy Pour

With Macrophonics, e Stupid Reasons [Small RoomDownstairs]. Saturday, May 25, 9 p.m.

HI TONE

The Subteens Burn Your Cardigan Listening Event

Celebrating the album’s 25th anniversary. Wednesday, May 29, 6 p.m.

MEMPHIS LISTENING LAB

Traveller the Band

Friday, May 24, 7 p.m.

OVERTON SQUARE

Treaty Oak Revival

Saturday, May 25, 8 p.m.

MINGLEWOOD HALL

Undugu Hip Hop

Festival

Sunday, May 26, 8 p.m.

HI TONE

Dale Watson & His Lonestars

Friday, May 24, 7 p.m.

HERNANDO’S HIDE-A-WAY

Mississippi Music Awards

$50. Friday, May 24, 6 p.m.

LANDERS CENTER

Concerts in The Grove: Chinese Connection Dub Embassy - Free Family Night

Free family night with tunes that people of all ages can dance to. ursday, May 23, 6:30-8 p.m.

THE GROVE AT GERMANTOWN

PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Josh Threlkeld with the Charging Rhinoceros of Soul

Friday, May 24, 5 p.m.

THE GROVE AT GPAC

Memphis Blues Society Weekly Jam

Hosted by Jackie Flora & Friends. ursday, May 23, 7:30 p.m.

ROCKHOUSE LIVE Singer Songwriter Sundays

Enjoy some of the areas best local musicians every Sunday. Sunday, May 26, 4-6 p.m.

MEDDLESOME BREWING COMPANY

The Chaulkies Sunday, May 26, 8 p.m.

HUEY’S CORDOVA

The Fabulous DooVays Wednesday, May 29, 6 p.m.

HUEY’S GERMANTOWN

CALENDAR of EVENTS: May 23 - 29

ART AND SPECIAL EXHIBITS

AAPI Student Art Competition Art Show

On display are the winning artwork from Memphis and Shelby County K-12 students. Let these works of art be not just a re ection, but a celebration, of the rich mosaic of AAPI voices and experiences. rough May 26.

COSSITT LIBRARY

“Branching Out”

Discover intricate connections between students, teachers, and casting communities, which branch out much like a family tree. rough Sept. 8.

METAL MUSEUM

CBU: 2024 Spring BFA

Exhibition

esis exhibition for graduating seniors in the department of visual arts at Christian Brothers University. rough June 30.

BEVERLY + SAM ROSS GALLERY

“China Blues: The World of Blue and White Ceramics”

e collection includes a range of objects from the Ming and Qing dynasties in a wide array of materials, including beautifully carved jades, paintings, textiles, and ceramics. rough May 31.

MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART

“Everyday People: Snapshots of The Black Experience”

A photography exhibition showcasing Memphis artist Eric Echols’ photo collection of 20th-century African Americans. rough July 14.

MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & HISTORY

George Bougher“Timeless Time”

Paintings focused on the storytelling element in the artist’s work. rough May 29.

MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN

“Illuminations”

Bruce Brainard is well known for meditative, allegorical landscapes of in nite skies, elds, and oceans. rough June 1.

DAVID LUSK GALLERY

“It’s All Relative”

Sicilian/Puerto Rican postsurrealist sculptor Morgan Lugo uses permanent materials, such as bronze, to speak to the lasting e ects of past experiences. rough July 7, METAL MUSEUM

“Made in Dixon | Hecho en Dixon”

“Made In Dixon” features artwork from more than 300 program participants of all ages, diverse cultural backgrounds, and interests. rough June 2.

THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS

Maritza Davila-Irizarry:

“Homage to the Human Heart”

Maritza Davila-Irizarry’s large format accordion-style book she created using printmaking techniques honed over decades embodies an homage to all of the people who have crossed paths with the artist. rough May 31.

FRONT PORCH WINDOW GALLERY AT STUDIOHOUSE ON MALVERN

“Memphis 2024”

Experience visual art in various genres and media from artists across Memphis. rough June 30.

THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS

“No Place Like Home”

Perspectives, techniques, and themes from queer artists in the metals community. rough June 2.

METAL MUSEUM

“People Are People” is exhibition honors famed American designer Christian Siriano’s electrifying contributions to fashion. rough Aug. 4.

MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART

“Reminiscence”: A Painting Series A journey through time in Amanda Willoughby’s rst public exhibition. rough May 28.

COSSITT LIBRARY

Rivertown Artists Spring

Fling Exhibition

Works by Shirlee Clark, Babs Feibelman, Jane Fulmer, Sharon Grinspan, Meg Jones, Vicki Less, Mary K. VanGieson, Elizabeth Williams, and Renee Wilson. Through May 30.

MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN

Sowgand

Sheikholeslami:

“Progression” is show features works encapsulating a diverse range of subjects, from enigmatic gures set within interior spaces to boldly painted still lifes and abstract landscapes. rough July 7.

THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS

Send the date, time, place, cost, info, phone number, a brief description, and photos — two weeks in advance — to calendar@memphisflyer.com.

DUE TO SPACE LIMITATIONS, ONGOING WEEKLY EVENTS WILL APPEAR IN THE FLYER’S ONLINE CALENDAR ONLY. FOR COMPREHENSIVE EVENT LISTINGS, SCAN THE QR CODE OR VISIT EVENTS.MEMPHISFLYER.COM/CAL.

“Sow”: Works by Emily Leonard Emily Leonard is known for sublime representations of landscapes and wildlife. rough June 8.

DAVID LUSK GALLERY

Summer Art Garden:

“Creatures of Paradise” Memphis-based duo Banana Plastik present an environment lled with vibrant and whimsical beings entitled “Creatures of Paradise.” rough Oct. 26.

MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART

“The Artistic Touch”

Exhibit featuring artists Carol Caughley, Sheila Bentley, Joe Umphress, and Barbara Hicks Taylor exhibiting. rough May 29.

ST. GEORGE’S ART GALLERY AT ST. GEORGE’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH

“The Real & Imagined” New work from Erin Harmon and Kong Wee Pang delving into imaginary environments and creations. Through June 22.

SHEET CAKE

“Understory”

New paintings by Alicja Trout. rough June 2.

BRANTLEY ELLZEY’S SUMMER STUDIO

ART HAPPENINGS

Artist Mixer

A free art show with food provided by Chef Eli. Friday, May 24, 7 p.m.

COSSITT LIBRARY

Gallery Talk: Michael Butler Jr. e Memphis lmmaker and photographer is known for his visual storytelling. Saturday, May 25, 2-3 p.m.

MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART

“Mane” and “Hidden Gems”

Opening for exhibits curated by Najee Strickland and Kiara Sally. Friday, May 24, 6-8 p.m.

CROSSTOWN ARTS AT THE CONCOURSE

Munch and Learn

Presentations by local artists, scholars, and Dixon sta sharing their knowledge on a

and a pop-up exhibition. Wednesday, May 29-June 2.

METAL MUSEUM

Fundamentals of Photography

Learn the fundamentals of photography and manual camera settings. ursday, May 23, 6 p.m.

COSSITT LIBRARY

Lunchtime Meditations

Looking for something relaxing to do to clear your mind and improve your overall health? Head to the Dixon for free meditation sessions every Friday. Friday, May 24, noon12:45 p.m.

THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS

Nature Journaling at Overton Park

Spark your curiosity with guided nature journaling. Tuesday, May 28, 4-5 p.m. OVERTON PARK

variety of topics. Wednesday, May 29, noon-1 p.m. THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS

Opening Reception for “Between Heaven and Earth, We Build Our Home”

Visual art exhibition featuring 12 AAPI artists from Memphis and the South. Saturday, May 25, 4-8 p.m.

URBAN ART COMMISSION

BOOK EVENTS

Cold War Country:

Lecture & Book Signing

With author Joseph M. ompson. ursday, May 23, 7 p.m.

STAX MUSEUM OF AMERICAN SOUL MUSIC

May Book Club: As I Lay Dying

Discussing the 1930 novel by American author William Faulkner. Wednesday, May 29, 1 p.m.

MORTON MUSEUM OF COLLIERVILLE HISTORY

CLASS / WORKSHOP

Beginning Jewelry Creation

Develop your basic jewelry making skills with brass and copper to create pendants, pins, or bracelets. Saturday, May 25, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

METAL MUSEUM

Creative for Hire

e American Advertising Federation (AAF) hosts a lunch and learn with local freelancers. $30. ursday, May 23, noon-1:30 p.m.

BLACK LODGE

Flower Happy Hour

A 21+ class on ower arranging. ursday, May 23, 6 p.m.

MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN

Foundry Invitational & River Exhibition

(F.I.R.E.)

A conference for metal casting with specialized workshops

Stone Cleaning Orientation & Demonstration

Learn the proper techniques for gently and carefully cleaning stonework. Friday, May 24, 3-5 p.m.

ELMWOOD CEMETERY

COMEDY

Ian Aber

Comedian Ian Aber (Sirius XM, Audible, NBC) headlines a lineup of standups at High Cotton Brewing Co.

$10/discounted online tickets. Saturday, May 25, 8 p.m. HIGH COTTON BREWING CO.

Comedy Open Mic

Hosted by John Miller. $10. Tuesday, May 28, 8 p.m. HI TONE

Henry Welch e most feared man in comedy. $20-$35. ursday, May 23, 8 p.m. | Friday, May 24, 7:30 p.m. | Friday, May 24, 10 p.m. | Saturday, May 25, 7:30 p.m. | Saturday, May 25, 10 p.m. | Sunday, May 26, 8 p.m.

CHUCKLES COMEDY HOUSE

Hoppy Hour Comedy at Hampline

Free! Fun! Tasty! Experience a choice roster of talented Memphis comedians as they strut their stu . Friday, May 24, 7:30-9 p.m.

HAMPLINE BREWING

Keeping Up With The Jones

With Ambrose Jones. $20. Saturday, May 25, 8 p.m. THE COMEDY JUNT

Saturday Night Showcase is underground comedy show, hosted by Tylon Monger, boasts a diverse and hilarious lineup each week. $15. Saturday, May 25, 7 p.m. MEMPHIS CLOVER CLUB

continued on page 20

PHOTO: COURTESY SHEET CAKE Kong Wee Pang, Dri wood Nest

PHOTO: COURTESY MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART Banana Plastik, 2024

Unapologetically Memphis

A comedy revue in the big room upstairs. $15. Saturday, May 25, 7 p.m.

HI TONE

DANCE

Ministry of Dance: A Gothic Gathering

DJ Evonech, St. Faust, and 10.29 play Goth, darkwave, industrial, and dark electro. $10. Saturday, May 25, 10 p.m.

BLACK LODGE

Argentine Tango Mini-Lesson & Practica

Mariallan and James will be conducting a short tango class for beginning dancers (5:30-6:15 p.m.), followed by a guided practica (6:15-7:30 p.m.). $15/lesson and practica, $10/ practica. Sunday, May 26, 5:30 p.m. THEATREWORKS

Swing for Spring

New beginner swing dance series. $80/general admission. Tuesday, May 28, 6-7 p.m.

CAT’S BALLROOM

EXPO/SALES

Great American River Run Expo

A gathering where runners get all their race gear and interact with their favorite running brands. Friday, May 24.

RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER

FAMILY

Eat This Book

Children ages 8 to 13 and their caregivers make their own custom tacos. Saturday, May 25, 11 a.m.-noon.

BENJAMIN L. HOOKS CENTRAL LIBRARY

Frog Chorus Walk

Stroll the Mineral Slough Boardwalk near LaGrange, TN, amongst the courting frogs of Ghost River State Natural Area. Saturday, May 25, 7:30 p.m.

WOLF RIVER CONSERVANCY

Kaleidoscope Club (ages 5-9)

Each week, participants will enjoy an art or horticulture project that sparks creativity and critical thinking. Wednesday, May 29, 4 p.m.

THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS

Mini Masters (ages 2-4)

Introduce your little ones to the arts and nature with crafts, movement, and more. Tuesday, May 28, 10:30-11:15 a.m.

THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS

Story Time

Enjoy stories, songs, art activities, and creative play that connect with Collierville history. Friday, May 24, 10:30 a.m.

MORTON MUSEUM OF COLLIERVILLE HISTORY

Story Time at Novel

Recommended for children up to 5 years, Story Time at Novel includes songs and stories, featuring brand-new books in addition to well-loved favorites. Saturday, May 25, 10:30 a.m. | Wednesday, May 29, 10:30 a.m.

NOVEL

Youth Filmmaking Workshop: Camera & Audio

Explore the art of cinematography and sound recording as you dive into the basics of using camera and audio equipment. (Seventh to 12th grades.) Saturday, May 25, 10:30 a.m.- 1 p.m.

BENJAMIN L. HOOKS CENTRAL LIBRARY

FESTIVAL

Beltane Masquerade Ball - A Night in The Fairy Court

A magical masquerade ball with a DJ, enchanting dance interludes, and a rave. $25. Friday, May 24, 8 p.m.

BLACK LODGE

FILM

I Read That Movie @ the Library: A Beautiful Mind

Read the 1998 biography of John Nash by Sylvia Nasar, then watch the film. Saturday, May 25, 2 p.m.

BENJAMIN L. HOOKS CENTRAL LIBRARY

Overton Square Movie Series: The Little Mermaid Blankets and folding chairs welcome. Thursday, May 23, 6 p.m.

OVERTON SQUARE

Space: The New Frontier 2D

From self-assembling habitats, commercial space stations, and rockets without fuel to the Lunar Gateway to deep space. Saturday, May 25-May 23, 2025.

MEMPHIS MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & HISTORY

The Crosstown Arts Film Series presents Dawn Of The Dead

A sequel of sorts to Romero’s 1968 film Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead tells the story of a group of survivors during a zombie outbreak who take refuge in a suburban shopping mall while mass hysteria wreaks havoc on their town. $10. Thursday, May 30, 6:30 p.m.

CROSSTOWN THEATER

West Indies: The Fugitive Slaves Of Liberty (1979)

Indie Memphis presents Med Hondo’s larger than life 1979 musical. Wednesday, May 29, 7 p.m.

MALCO STUDIO ON THE SQUARE

FOOD AND DRINK

Canoes + Cocktails

A guided sunset paddle on the lake followed by specialty cocktails provided by Old Dominick, snacks from Cheffie’s, yard games, and music. Friday, May 24, 7 p.m.

SHELBY FARMS PARK

Cooper-Young Community Farmers Market

A weekly outdoor market featuring local farmers (no resellers), artisans, and live music. Saturday, May 25, 8 a.m.-1 p.m.

FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH

Food Truck Fridays

Grab a bite from a local food truck and enjoy lunch in the beautiful Dixon gardens. Friday, May 24, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

HEALTH AND FITNESS

Body Balance

A new generative yoga class that will improve your mind, your body, and your life. Free.

ursday, May 23, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

OVERTON PARK SHELL

FIT4Mom

Stroller Strides and Stroller Barre workouts.

ursday, May 23, 9:30 a.m. | Tuesday, May 28, 9:30 a.m.

SHELBY FARMS PARK

Free Sana Yoga

Find your glow and fuel your soul with free Yoga every Tuesday at 11 a.m. at Comeback

Co ee. is all-levels Flow class will leave you feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. Tuesday, May 28, 11-11:45 a.m.

COMEBACK COFFEE

Guided Nature Walk

Join a Lichterman nature center naturalist on a themed guided walk around the property.

Saturday, May 25, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

LICHTERMAN NATURE CENTER

Slow Your Roll | Saturday Morning

Meditation

A serene start to your Saturday with some morning mindfulness, led by the experienced mindfulness educator Greg Graber. Free.

Saturday, May 25, 8-8:30 a.m.

CHICKASAW GARDENS PARK

Taijiquan with Milan Vigil

Led by Milan Vigil, this Chinese martial art promotes relaxation, improves balance, and provides no-impact aerobic bene ts. Ages 16 and older. Free. Saturday, May 25, 10:30-11:30 a.m.

THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS

Twilight Yoga & Pilates

Join the Shell each Monday for a full-body burn during rotating yoga and Pilates classes at the historic Overton Park Shell. Free. Monday, May 27, 5:30-6:30 p.m.

OVERTON PARK SHELL

Wednesday Walks

A casual stroll around the Old Forest. No agenda, just a chance to meet new people and get a walk in. Where: Rainbow Lake Playground Kiosk. Wednesday, May 29, 4-5 p.m.

OVERTON PARK

Yoga

Strengthen your yoga practice and enjoy the health bene ts of light exercise with yoga instructors Laura Gray McCann. Free. ursday, May 23, 6-6:45 p.m.

THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS

Yoga in the Park

Stretch, strengthen, and unwind a er your work day with a free yoga class. Free. ursday, May 23, 5:30-6:15 p.m.

HEALTH SCIENCES PARK

Yoga on the River

Join us for Yoga on the River as Candace guides your yoga journey along the mighty Mississippi. Free. Tuesday, May 28, 6-7 p.m.

RIVER GARDEN

Zumba

Dance your cares away at the Overton Park Shell with a dynamic, weekly Zumba workout that fuses together Latin and international music and movement. Free. Tuesday, May 28, 5:30-6:30 p.m.

OVERTON PARK SHELL

PERFORMING ARTS

Leggs and Toasts Celebrity Illusion Drag Brunch

“Leggs and Toasts” is back with another amazing lineup for you: Taylor Swift, Garth Brooks, Cher, Patti LaBelle, Whitney Houston, Etta James, and more surprises. $25. Sunday, May 26, noon.

DRU’S PLACE

Monday Night Poetry Set by Perform901

An immersive celebration of the written word, where the beauty of language comes alive. Monday, May 27, 7:30 p.m.

HI TONE

Rising Stars: “Studio 54”

Hosted by Pepper SueSage and the comedy queen, Rebekah Random. Sunday, May 26, 6 p.m.

DRU’S PLACE

The Starlight Cabaret

Featuring Chance X, Ladee Love, Crystal Jo Casino, Aubrey “Boom Boom” Ombre, and the bearded beauty, Pepper SueSage. Friday, May 24, 9 p.m.

DRU’S PLACE

SPECIAL EVENTS

Grind City Brewing Tournament Series

Board to Beers is hosting a series of easy to learn and play games at Grind City Brewing Company. Games are free to play. First through third place will take home house cash for Grind City. Sunday, May 26, 1:30-5 p.m.

GRIND CITY BREWING CO.

SPORTS

2024 Great American River Run

Featuring a half marathon, 10K, and 5K runs starting at 7 a.m. Saturday, May 25.

RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER

Memphis Armored Fight Club

A er the exhibitions, it’s your turn to get in padded armor and ght each other. $10. Saturday, May 25, 6 p.m.

BLACK LODGE

Memphis Redbirds

Versus the Nashville Sounds. $13-$86. Tuesday, May 28, 7 p.m. | Wednesday, May 29, 7 p.m.

AUTOZONE PARK

Race: Buffvelo Crit Series

Cyclists compete for the e Bu velo Hammer trophy. Wednesday, May 29, 5 p.m.

SHELBY FARMS

ACROSS

1 Precursor to riches, it’s said

5 “A Farewell to Arms” subj.

8 Snide chuckle

12 Unalaskan, e.g.

14 Hide-y holes?

15 Player of X in “X-Men”

17 Alternatives to texts

18 Squeeze (out)

19 Frequent favorite

21 Scotch brand

23 Courtroom V.I.P.s

24 Part of some future planning, for short

25 Like many of Pindar’s works

26 Player of M in “GoldenEye”

29 Carefully listening (to)

32 Screw up

33 Player of V in “V for Vendetta”

36 Cabinet dept. concerned with farming

37 Chicago landmark nicknamed for its resemblance to a legume

39 Player of J in “Men in Black”

43 Urban portmanteau

45 Lead-in to -cide

46 Equal

47 Would really rather not

49 Member of a fratlike Silicon Valley work environment

52 “Game of Thrones” role ___ Snow

53 Cardi B’s genre

54 15-, 26-, 33or 39-Across, punnily?

57 Answer to the old riddle “What wears more clothing in summer than in winter?”

58 What Dante wrote in

59 Try to get a good look

60 Crosses out

61 A really long time

1 Spanish fleet?

2 San Francisco Bay city

3 Becomes involved in

4 Big ___

5 Ones going down in flames?

6 Shake, maybe

7 Walk-___

8 Julia Ward ___, writer of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”

9 Really long times 10 Contained by this text 11 Ph-neutral vitamin brand 13 Mezzanine, e.g. 14 Magical basin used to view one’s memories in the Harry Potter books 16 Disgusting sort 20 “Lah-di-___!”

Race: Hometown 5K/10K & Half

Marathon

Course route includes Hyde Lake Trail. Sunday, May 26, 7 a.m.

SHELBY FARMS PARK

Zoom Through the Zoo

A four-mile race and one-mile fun run. All ages. $40. ursday, May 23, 6:30 p.m.

MEMPHIS ZOO

THEATER

The Hot Wing King

Katori Hall’s searing new comedy, e Hot Wing King follows a group of friends as they prepare for the “Hot Wang Festival” in Memphis. rough June 2.

CIRCUIT PLAYHOUSE

TOURS

Haunted Pub Crawl

Visit three local bars for ghost stories, dark history, and tales of the paranormal. Friday, May 24, 7:30-10 p.m.

THE BROOM CLOSET

The Original Memphis Brew Bus

Visit three local breweries for tours, talks with the brewers, and of course beer. $59. Saturday, May 25, 2-5:30 p.m.

THE BROOM CLOSET

PUZZLE BY SAM TRABUCCO

PHOTO: COURTESY MEMPHIS PUBLIC LIBRARIES Youth Filmmaking Workshop

We Saw You.

with MICHAEL DONAHUE

Symphony in the Gardens was once again a sell-out at Dixon Gallery & Gardens. The outdoor event, which was held May 12th, featured the Memphis Symphony Big Band conducted by Scott Moore. Singer Kortland Whalum performed.

A crowd of 1,300 people attended, says Jessie Wiley, Dixon’s director of development and communications.

“ is is an annual tradition every year on Mother’s Day for over 20 years,” Wiley says. “It’s a special partnership between two valuable cultural organizations — the Dixon and Memphis Symphony Orchestra.”

e event, which “brings diverse Memphians together,” is “so much fun,” Wiley says. A “joyous day. Time to spend with family and friends. A very relaxed atmosphere. Bring your own picnic or enjoy food trucks. You can kind of make it your own.”

above: (le to right) Laura Alexander and Gloria Dodds Harlan; Memphis Symphony Orchestra music director Robert Moody; Rev. Kenneth and Sheila Whalum below: (le to right) Kenneth and Jennifer Pierce; Christopher Atkinson, Phil Sistrunk, and Olivia Grace Atkinson bottom row: (le to right) Jude Tumminello, Mack Meyers, and Eva Meyers; Erin Lech, Vivian Langston, and Evan Langston

PHOTOS: MICHAEL DONAHUE

FOOD By Michael Donahue

Working Out Never Tasted So Good

Ampli ed Meal Prep celebrates seventh anniversary.

ichard and Molly McCracken are still keeping people in shape — as far as food goes.

e McCrackens are owners of Memphis Kitchen Co-Op at 7946 Fischer Steel Road in Cordova. ey also are owners of Ampli ed Meal Prep: healthy meals that can be purchased online at eatampli ed.com and at the co-op’s Memphis Kitchen Co-Op Marketplace.

Ampli ed Meal Prep has been “going on about seven years now,” Richard says. e idea behind the food is to get people to eat “the Ampli ed way: maintain weight or weight loss.”

And just to give people a healthy body. “Eating healthy just has so many health bene ts. at’s what we do.”

Richard, who was born in Chicago, and Molly, who is from Ohio, were college athletes. Richard went to University of Central Missouri, and Molly went to Morehead State University. “She was a gymnast and cheerleader, and I was a wrestler in college.”

Richard, who does the cooking, began helping in the kitchen when he was “a little kid.” His mom, K.C. Bryant, taught him. “We never bought ‘boxed’ anything. My mom made everything from scratch. She always needed help, so I would always help her in the kitchen.”

He made sloppy joes and “Heavenly Hamburger” — noodles and marinara with cream cheese and cheddar cheese on it. at’s one of “Mimi’s Meals,” which they carry online and at the market.

Richard continued to cook. “I cooked for all my teammates in college. at was just like meat and carbs. I wasn’t doing anything crazy.”

Being college athletes, he says, they tried to “eat pretty clean.”

“We do everything. We can do the healthy all the way to deep Southern fried cooking.”

Richard met Molly at WellWorX gym, where they both worked at the time. That’s also where Richard and a business partner began their Ultimate Foods business 10 years ago. It was the predecessor to Amplified

Meal Prep. “We just wanted to create healthy fast food.”

“Nick’s Barbecue Bowl,” which included barbecued chicken and sweet potatoes, was one of their most popular bowls, he says.

He and Molly began Ampli ed Meal Prep seven years ago. “ at started at my friends’ house. We were making meals for them.”

e co-op, which they opened three years ago in a 6,500 square-footbuilding, is for people who don’t have room in their homes to make food in quantity. ey now house 60 small businesses, Richard says.

eir commercial equipment includes eight convection ovens, eight standard ovens, four 10-burner stoves, two at-top grills, 30-quart and 60-quart mixers, food processors, a 24-by-14-foot walk-in cooler, a 32-by7-foot walk-in display cooler, 50 prep tables, 120 storage shelves, and 40 feet of vent hood space. ey also added a baker’s rotating rack oven, Richard says. “It’s a super cool oven.”

Recently, the McCrackens have been concentrating on catering. ey previously did some catering, including weddings and for some Memphis Grizzlies players. “A little catering stu

here and there, but we never really have put it out there that we actually do catering.”

eir catering menu fare isn’t strictly for those who are health-conscious, Richard says. “We do everything. We can do the healthy all the way to deep Southern fried cooking.”

Healthy items would be “the fresh fruit and veggies. More lean cuts of meat and that kind of stu . Not heavy lasagnas or your pastas with sauces, or anything Alfredo. We’re not going to do anything like that in the healthy catering. We’re going to keep it pretty clean, but still it’s going to be good.”

If someone doesn’t want the emphasis to be on healthy cooking, Richard says, “We can do fried chicken. We can do lasagna, chicken wings, any type of Italian, any type of Asian. Literally anything.”

ey recently introduced a brandnew Ampli ed Meal Prep breakfast menu online and in the co-op market. “We’ve switched out all the breakfasts. All the breakfasts are brand-new.”

And, he says, “We’ll have a new lunch and dinner menu in the next couple of weeks.”

Other new Ampli ed Meal Prep

dishes included a seared tuna poke bowl. ey also are o ering new salads, including one with salmon, coconut rice, and mango, and a Santa Fe salad with Southwestern-seasoned chicken over Romaine lettuce, tortilla strips, a chipotle dressing, and tomato.

e “Amp Market Salad” consists of chicken, granola, blueberries, strawberries, and apples with “a tangy vinaigrette dressing.”

And their “Bang Bang” chicken salad is “chicken with our Bang Bang dressing. It’s like a sweet, spicy dressing over chicken with lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, and other goodies.”

Richard and Molly also are planning to get into shipping. ey want to ship their Ampli ed Meal Prep meals regionally. “We want to ship to the Nashville area, the Atlanta area, and, hopefully, a er that we can probably expand a little more.”

ey will ship “everything that’s available online. ey order and we just pack it up. Put cold packs in and send it to them.”

PHOTO: MICHAEL DONAHUE Richard and Molly McCracken with kids Kaylee and Ryker

Enroll Your Child in Pre-K

Protection Work

Protection work is the bread and butter for most spiritual practitioners. It is something that can and probably should be done on a regular basis along with cleansing work, and it never hurts to do. You can do it whenever you feel like you need to, or you can make it a part of your regular routine.

Cleansing and protection go hand in hand. When you do a cleansing, you are removing unwanted energies from your property and purifying your space. In an ideal situation, you may want to perform a thorough cleansing before doing your protection work. However, you do not have to cleanse before asking for protection. Yes, cleansing is o en considered the rst step, but it is not required and sometimes it’s not feasible.

If you add cleansing your space and doing protection work as part of your routine, this will keep your home or space puri ed and protected and doing it regularly will increase the potency of your work over time.

door wreaths or other décor near their entryways for this. You can also create something new for this purpose. Break out the arts and cra s and create a special piece to be hung where you feel like you need protection the most. While you are working on it, remember why you are creating the piece (for protection) and put that energy into whatever it is you are making.

You can also create an energetic ward around your home. We don’t have the space to get into energy work, which is the foundation of creating wards, but that

Many people don’t think of doing protection work until we need it. And in these situations, taking the time to cleanse may not be realistic. Although cleansing on a regular basis is good spiritual hygiene, it is not necessarily required before you do any protection work, even if you have the time and means to cleanse beforehand.

Because protection is so important, there are many ways you can energetically and spiritually protect yourself. Placing gemstones around your home is an easy way of adding protection. Gemstones that are dark in color are typically used for this purpose, although amethyst breaks the color rule and is great for everything. You can also create herbal amulets, also known as gris-gris bags or mojo bags, with protective herbs and gemstones to place around your space.

Some of the best protection workings you can do, though, are ones that no one knows about and that no one can see. Creating energetic wards or shields around your home is one way to add some invisible protection. Another way is to bless or charge items in your home to be protective.

You can use any item that already exists in your home and charge it with the intention that this item is now protecting your home. Many people use

is something you can look up online or come ask us about at e Broom Closet.

Energetic wards are a type of protection work used to guard against negative energies. To create a ward on your home, you will want to visualize a sphere encircling your home. It needs to go all around, over it, and underneath it. Once you see this sphere in your mind’s eye, you will want to infuse it with protective energy. ink about the kinds of protection you need from the ward while you are visualizing it.

All protection workings will need to be revisited at some point and refreshed. In my experience, wards and other energetic-based workings may need a little more maintenance than other types of workings. If you are not yet an experienced energy worker, you may want to check in on your wards more o en. e more experience you have working with energy, the stronger your skills will be and the less maintenance you will have to do.

As you go about your summer and work on your to-do list, don’t forget to add protecting your home to your list. It’s always better to be proactive than reactive.

Emily Guenther is a co-owner of e Broom Closet metaphysical shop. She is a Memphis native, professional tarot reader, ordained Pagan clergy, and dog mom.

PHOTO: KATHY SWAGGERTY | DREAMSTIME.COM

ARIES (March 21-April 19): In the coming weeks, you will experience uncomfortable weirdness if you do the following: 1. Meander without focus or purpose; 2. Give yourself permission to postpone, procrastinate, and engage in avoidance behavior; 3. Ignore the interesting, though challenging, truths that are right in front of you; 4. Hang out with people with mediocre ambitions. But you will experience healthy, uplifting oddness if you do the following: 1. Trust your instincts and intuitions; 2. Authorize your spontaneity to invigorate and guide you; 3. Take the straightforward path that gets you to the destination most efficiently; 4. Be crisp and nimble.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Mysterious energies will soon begin healing at least some of the wounds in your financial genius. As a result, I predict new powers of attraction will awaken in you, making it likely you will add to your wealth in the coming months. To synergize these happy developments, I recommend you give yourself permission to have joyous fun as you lust for more cash. More good news: I will supplement your good fortune by casting a benevolent spell to boost the flow of riches into your bank account.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): In myths and legends, the consummate spiritual goal has various names: the Holy Grail, philosopher’s stone, pearl of great price, nirvana, alchemical gold, key of life, and many others. I appreciate this profusion of sacred symbols. It encourages us to not be too literal about identifying the highest reward. The old fables are equally equivocal about where the prize can be found. Is it in an empty desert or a dark forest? In the deepest abyss, on a mountaintop, or in the backyard? I bring these thoughts to your attention, Cancerian, because the coming months will be an excellent time to conduct a quest for the marvelous treasure. What do you need most right now? What’s the best way to begin your search?

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): I have good news for any Leos who are devoted to pragmatism and rational analysis. Just this once, my horoscope will offer no lyrical teasers or mystical riddles. Your pressing need for no-nonsense grit has moved me to offer straightforward, unembellished counsel. Here it is, dear: Cultivate connections that will serve your passionate ambitions. Make vigorous use of your network and community to gather information that will serve your passionate ambitions. Meditate on what course corrections might be necessary to serve your passionate ambitions.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): For many of you Virgos, your health seems chronically unsettled. You may be constantly hyper-vigilant about the next glitch that

could possibly affect your well-being. There’s a problem with that approach: It may intensify your fear of frailty, which in turn saps your vigor. But I’m happy to report that in the coming months, you will have an enhanced power to break out of this pattern. To get started, try this: Every morning for four minutes, picture yourself overflowing with vitality. Visualize every part of your body working with joyful heartiness. Send streams of love and gratitude to all your organs. Do this for the next 21 days.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Many people regard the word “faith” as referring to delusional hope or wishful thinking. But I ask you to rethink its meaning — and consider the possibility that it could be an empowering force in the coming months. How? Imagine a faith that’s earthy and robust. You actually feel it vibrating in your heart and gut. It literally alters your brain chemistry, fortifying your natural talents and attracting needed resources. It liberates you to feel pragmatically excited as you pursue your goal of fulfilling your soul’s code.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): When I was born, my parents gave me the name “Robert.” It’s derived from an Old North French word meaning “shining” and “bright with glory.” In Middle English, though, “robert” was a designation for “a wastrel, a marauder, a good-for-nothing.” I use this dichotomy as a reminder that my own nature is a mix of brightness and darkness. A lot of me is shining and inspirational, but there’s also a part that’s ignorant and confused. And what’s true about me is true about everyone else, including you: We are blends of the best and the not-so-best. Now is a good time to draw strength and wisdom from meditating on this reality. Your shadowy aspects have important and interesting truths to reveal to your brilliant aspects — and vice versa.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):

Here are some meditations on emotions. They are as key to our intelligence as our thoughts! But it’s crucial that we distinguish between emotions generated by delusions and emotions that are responses to true perceptions. Let’s say I get angry because I imagine a friend stole money from my room while visiting, but then later I put on my vest and find the supposedly stolen cash in the vest pocket. That is a delusional emotion. But if I am sad because my friend’s beloved dog is sick, that is emotion based on an accurate perception. I bring this to your attention, Sagittarius because I believe it is essential that in the coming weeks you discern between the two types.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): As an adjunct to the Ten Commandments, I have formulated the Ten Suggestions.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): When I first got my job writing a horoscope column, I wasn’t looking for it. It found me. My bike had been stolen, and I was looking for a new one in the classified ads of the Good Times, the local Santa Cruz newspaper. There I serendipitously spied a “Help Wanted” ad. The publisher of the Good Times was hiring a new astrology writer to replace Robert Cole, who had just quit. I quickly applied for the gig and got it. Ever since, Robert Cole has been a symbol for me of an accidental and unexpected opportunity appearing out of nowhere. I mention this, Gemini, because when I meditate on you lately, I see the face of Robert Cole.

Here’s Suggestion #1: Wash your own brain at least three times a year. I’m speaking metaphorically, of course. What I mean is that like me and everyone else, you are always accumulating junky thoughts and useless feelings. Some are generated by our old, conditioned responses, and some pour into us from the media and entertainment industries. And it’s best to be proactive about the toxic build-up — not allow it to become monumental. In my astrological opinion, now is an excellent time for a regular mind cleanse.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): So many writers have said terrible things about our existence on planet Earth. “Life is a disease,” wrote George Bernard Shaw. “Life is a bad dream,” declared Eugene O’Neill. Life is “a vast cold junkpile,” according to Stephen King. There are thousands more of these unnuanced disparagements. Why? Here are the facts, as I see them: As tough as it can be to navigate through problems and pain, being alive in our miraculous bodies with our dazzling awareness is a sublime gift. We are all blessed with a mysterious and fascinating destiny. In accordance with the astrological omens, Aquarius, I invite you to celebrate being alive with extra gratitude and ebullience. Begin the jubilee by feeling amazement and awe for your mysterious and fascinating destiny. Second step: Identify five sublime gifts in your life.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In the coming weeks, I ask you to refrain from indulging in extreme nostalgia. On the other hand, I encourage you to explore the past and sift through memories with the intention of clarifying what really happened back then. Pluck new lessons from the old days that will help you forge smart decisions in the near future. Use your history as a resource while you redefine the meanings of pivotal events. For extra credit, create a new title for the book you may someday write about your life story.

EVERY WEDNESDAY IN MAY TIME: 5:30-7:30 PM HEALTH SCIENCES PARK, MANASSAS & UNION FREE

Soul Explosion!

HBO documentary series Stax: Soulsville U.S.A. celebrates the power of Memphis music.

Jamila Wignot was nervous. It was Friday night, May 17, 2024, at Crosstown eater in Midtown Memphis, and she was about to premiere the rst episode of her latest HBO documentary series Stax: Soulsville U.S.A. to a hometown crowd. e soldout house was full of Memphis music royalty: David Porter, Al Bell, Deanie Parker, Eddie Floyd, the list goes on.

“It’s like somebody was just saying to me, ‘Didn’t Janis Joplin get booed in Memphis?’ And I was like, ‘Exactly!’ at’s why I was nervous,” Wignot says on a Zoom interview a few days later. Turns out, she needn’t have worried. e crowd responded to “Chapter One: ’Cause I Love You” with a Cannes-level standing ovation. During the Q&A a er the screening, Deanie Parker, the Stax Museum of American Soul Music’s rst CEO, seemed taken aback. “ is really has been an emotional experience for me,” she says. “I think it’s because, while we achieved a lot, we did it in about a decade — which is astounding! We made a mark globally.”

Wignot says her involvement with the Stax story started as she was nishing up her last documentary, a portrait of modern dance pioneer Alvin Ailey. “I’ve been working in documentary lmmaking, particularly historical documentary lmmaking, for a long time. But I came out of a kind of PBS model of documentaries that were narrated by a kind of ‘Voice of God’ narrator. ey used archival [ lm and stills], but there were very speci c ways that you had to use it at that time. With Ailey, I nally got to do the kind of documentary lmmaking that I like to do, which is rst-person, kind of witness-driven documentary lmmaking. As a kid, I saw Eyes on the Prize and thought, ‘Wow, this is amazing!’ When you are hearing from somebody who was there on the front lines, and then you’re seeing them in the archival footage, it all just feels very immersive and alive and urgent.

“On the heels of that, I was then approached rst by Ezra Edelman and Caroline Waterlow who made O.J.: Made in America. We’d all been friends for a very long time. Ezra said, ‘I’m working with this company, White Horse Pictures, and we’re looking for somebody who wants to direct a series on Stax Records, and do you think you’d be into it?’ And I was just immediately like, ‘Yes, yes, yes!’”

Stax: Soulsville U.S.A. skillfully

PHOTO (TOP): COURTESY DON NIX COLLECTION/OKPOP

Booker T. Jones, Donald “Duck” Dunn, David Porter, Al Jackson Jr., Bonnie Bramlett, Delaney Bramlett, Isaac Hayes, and Steve Cropper

PHOTO (RIGHT): COURTESY HBO

Stax: Soulsville U.S.A.

blends interviews with the surviving players and extensively researched archival footage from the label’s heyday. “I don’t bother to interview RZA, who’s a diehard fan of the label. ere’s no Justin Timberlake, there’s no Elton John, there’s no Paul McCartney. I was not interested in having the kind of secondary fan in there, just appreciating it. I wanted to understand how the label came together, the experiences of the people on the ground, and then let the music do the work of generating enthusiasm.”

The racial discrimination of the Jim Crow-era South is never far from the surface of the story.

e story is one of triumphant highs, stunning reversals of fortune, and missed opportunities, such as the time e Beatles tried and failed to schedule a recording session at the Stax studio on McLemore Avenue.

(“Had that happened, for sure Ringo and Paul would’ve been up in this documentary!” says Wignot.)

Wignot’s approach is immediate and visceral. In one priceless take,

shot in Booker T. Jones’ Nevada home, the Stax organist and arranger walks us through the creation of the timeless instrumental “Green Onions,” explaining how the song works from a music theory standpoint. It’s a little like watching Albert Einstein sketch out the equations for general relativity on a cocktail napkin.

“ e thing that’s so incredible about Booker T. Jones is, he’s quite a quiet guy. Put him in front of a crowd and he’s like, ‘I’m ready!’ But then put him in a more intimate setting,

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and that’s not his milieu, which I love about performers. So he walked in and he said, ‘Oh, I’m feeling a little bit nervous and shy.’ He looked amazing, that blue suit and the hat, everything styled to perfection. And he said, ‘I’m going to sit at the piano and just start playing. It helps me settle down.’ As we were nishing up our setup, Booker T. Jones — Booker T. Jones! — is giving us a private concert. You’re trying to act like it’s very normal and not to go full fan-girl on him, just like, ‘How is this happening?’ e cameraman is like, ‘ e light’s going to go here?’ And we’re like, ‘ e guy is doing his thing RIGHT NOW.’

“How do you take something that’s been often seen and give it a new life, a new vitality?”

“Finally, I said, ‘[‘Green Onions’], it’s such a classic, that song. Since the process of working in Stax was so spontaneous, it could feel like things just kind of emerged out of nothing, give it to me. What’s the thought process? How do you get to this song?’ He was already at the piano, and he just started explaining it. It’s hands down one of my favorite scenes in the whole series. … Once you understand how ‘Green Onions’ came about, do you really need a famous person to talk about how much they love that song?”

wanted the company to succeed. The racial discrimination of the Jim Crow-era South is never far from the surface of the story, such as the time the label’s first breakout star, Carla Thomas, had to ride the service elevator to get to a meeting with the head of Atlantic Records.

It wasn’t until the Stax/Volt Revue toured Europe in the spring of 1967 that the Black musicians realized what it was like to be respected for their music, and not judged for the color of their skin. e segment of “’Cause I Love You” documenting the tour is powerful, says David Porter. “You could see a little bit of it, as an artist looking at the lm, but to be there and to see that energy and that spirit was all over that space. ere were people who were enjoying that music just breaking down and crying, getting tremendously emotional when they looked at Otis Redding, or Sam & Dave, or Eddie Floyd. It was something to see.”

Sam Moore acts as an informal narrator for the story of the tour, as you see his younger version hyping up a crowd of Norwegian teens. “ ere’s so many di erent lms that have been able to make use of this material,” says Wignot. “ ank God it exists, but I was thinking, how do you take something that’s been o en seen and give it a new life, a new kind of vitality? … When Sam Moore started talking about his love of the church, I wanted to get that in there, but not the way it is o en told, up front. at’s the story of how R&B came together, in a way. It’s so central to what moves him as an artist. We have him talking about the power of the preacher to communicate. I just love in documentaries when you see somebody thinking. en he says, ‘I would do anything to get that crowd to do a show with me.’ And that is so powerful because he’s not just trying to ‘turn them on.’ Even there, there’s a collective exchange, ‘Come with me, let’s do this together. …’

gets to live, so that we experience it as viewers as if we were there in the concert? But you’re adding just enough commentary that you’re not speaking on top of the scene, and you’re communicating what was going on emotionally for the performer. So there’s a real balance of too much dialogue versus too little dialogue, and understanding that the material is incredible in and of itself.”

Stax: Soulsville U.S.A. is now streaming on Max. FILM By

top and another. It just kind of builds over time and then becomes this big, explosive powerhouse climax of a song.”

The fact that Stax soul was chronically underappreciated by both the music industry and music press is a recurring theme in the series. In the intro, Parker promises to tell uncomfortable truths about how the powers-that-be never really

“ e challenge of scenes like that, is how do you do it so that the music

“Chapter One” ends on the high note of the tour, says Wignot. “Episode one builds the way that ‘Try a Little Tenderness’ builds as a song. It was informed by Jim Stewart saying he thinks that that’s the song that best sums up the kind of spirit of Stax. It’s collaboration. It starts with one thing and then another thing gets laid on

“As you go forward with each of these segments, you’re gonna nd that it is gonna get heavy. It’s gonna get fun, it’s gonna get powerful because it is alive,” says Porter. “ e camaraderie that was between us, enjoying it, was shown in this lm. It was a di erent time, and not a sweet time. We applauded what Jim [Stewart] was doing, giving us the freedom to go into the studio and do that. Everybody worked together in such a cohesive way, and there was a love and magic that happened in a continual way from day to day, hour to hour, all the way to the midnight hour. All that we would do, we’d have fun doing it. Because music is never good unless you can feel the joy inside of doing it.”

PHOTO: HOWARD BINGHAM

Bruce Talamon and Isaac Hayes at the 1972 Wattstax concert

Our critic picks the best films in theaters.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Mad genius George Miller brings us a prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road Imperator Furiosa, played by Charlize Theron in the original, didn’t start out as a steely-eyed road warrior. She was kidnapped from the Green Place as a child by Dementus (Chris Hemsworth), Warlord of the Biker Horde. She becomes a pawn in the wasteland war against Immortan Joe (Lachy Hulme), even as she plots her escape. This 15-year epic saga stars Anya Taylor-Joy as young Furiosa and Alyla Browne as youngest Furiosa. Can Miller better Fury Road, the greatest film of the 21st century? Or will Furiosa merely be the most kick-ass thing you’ll see on a screen this year?

The Garfield Movie

Set to be eviscerated by Furiosa this weekend is The Garfield Movie. Not to be confused with 2004’s Garfield: The Movie, this is about Garfield, the orange cat who likes lasagna. Columbia Pictures was somehow persuaded to set $49 million on fire to produce this tribute to Jim Davis’ comic strip which peaked in the 1980s with jokes about how everyone hates Mondays. Hey, at least Chris Pratt, Samuel L. Jackson, and Snoop Dogg got paid.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

The Eagle Clan of peaceful chimps is enslaved by would-be gorilla king Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand). Noa (Owen Teague) must save his people with the help of human Mae (Freya Allan). How long will the truce between human and ape last?

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Protect Your Mental Health

Small steps can yield big results in the healing process.

In a world that o en feels overwhelming, it’s easy to get caught up in stress, anxiety, and emotional turmoil. As we recognize Mental Health Awareness Month in May, it’s crucial to focus on the small steps we can all take to protect our mental health.

First, remember you are not alone. Although it can be easy to shut down and isolate, isolation leads to loneliness and is linked to depression, anxiety, and physical health problems. Instead, surround yourself with loving, empathetic friends and members of your community who also understand the complex emotions you are feeling and who can navigate them with you.

If social media or news coverage makes you feel overwhelmed, don’t hesitate to take a break. Constant exposure to negative news or disturbing images can a ect your mental health, leading to secondary trauma. It’s okay to step back and prioritize your well-being.

Embrace your emotions, but don’t be afraid to ask for help. Sometimes our instincts tell us to avoid showing our feelings or admitting their depth. Let yourself know that it is okay to feel whatever emotion comes up in whatever form it takes. It is okay to feel anger, sadness, anxiety, and fear. Be patient with the process.

While healing is certainly not linear, it can o en begin with a conversation. Never hesitate to reach out for help if you are unsure how to navigate traumatic events. Counselors, family, a trusted friend, or clergy members should all be a part of your support network. Lean on those you trust and be honest about how you are feeling. Remember, seeking help isn’t a sign of weakness — it’s a sign of strength and self-awareness. It’s okay not to be okay!

Physical exercise can be a powerful tool to improve your mental health. A common misconception of working out and physical exercise is that it’s just a way to improve your physical health. While it is true that physical exercise bene ts physical health, it also enhances our mental well-being, having a profoundly positive impact on depression, anxiety, and ADHD. It also relieves stress, improves memory, helps you sleep better, and boosts your overall mood. Even modest amounts of exercise can make a real di erence. A recent study by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that running for 15 minutes a day or walking for an hour reduces the risk of major depression by 26 percent. rough the release of endorphins, exercise works as a natural anti-anxiety, anti-depressant, and stress reliever, boosting physical and mental energy and enhancing overall well-being. If you are new to working out, nd a time that ts best with your schedule and start small, with a quick 5- to 10-minute walk around the neighborhood.

Practicing being in the present moment can eliminate a negative mind state. Sometimes we can let our minds wander to past, future, or hypothetical situations where we ruminate on things we wish we could do di erently or worry about situations we cannot change or predict. Taking time to conscientiously stay in the present moment with a practice called “mindfulness” can stop our minds from going down a path that has no bene ts for our mental health. When you feel these trains of thought coming, focus your attention on a specially chosen word or set of words, an object, or your breathing. Another way is to focus on the good things in your life. It’s helpful to do this every day, either by thinking about what you are grateful for or writing it down in a journal. ese can be big things, such as the support you have from loved ones, or little things, such as enjoying a nice meal. Finally, if you or someone you know are seriously considering any form of self-harm, call 988, a national support line. Trained counselors are available to listen, provide support, and o er local resources. One call can save a life and there is professional help for those who need it.

If you are feeling overwhelmed, lonely, or need support, you should not hesitate to reach out to local mental health professionals who are here to help. We must all lean on each other in di cult times. Memphis is vibrant, resilient, and brave. Our community knows the importance of lending a hand to our hurting brothers and sisters. We need to take time to listen, both to ourselves and to others. e small things matter. Conversations with a friend, being honest about our feelings, and reaching out for help are all crucial steps we must take to begin the healing process.

If you need support or guidance, don’t hesitate to seek out resources. Reach out for help; call a trusted friend or a professional. You are not alone.

August White is executive director of Mental Health Cooperative Memphis.

PHOTO: COURTESY MENTAL HEALTH COOPERATIVE MEMPHIS

August White

PHOTO: RENAUD VEJUS | DREAMSTIME.COM